Dances of Shadow
by Quill of Molliemon
Summary: AU Set in the middle ages, Europe. Pairings: see profile. 41st chapter It's time to go to the party! But Jean tries to throw in some doubt... R
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:  I don't own the X-Men, Marvel does.  I'm just borrowing them for a little while and tweaking them a bit but I promise I'll give them back when I'm done.  So please, no suing, I have no money so it ain't worth it.

Author's Notes:  The above disclaimer applies to the whole story, I won't write it again in any form because it would be kinda redundant and I'm too lazy to anyway.  I also won't respond to any reviews in my story because I find it a waste of space.  I don't want to offend any one and I really enjoy reviews, I just don't want to clutter my story with responses to reviews every chapter, I find it rather annoying.  This is also my first fan fiction attempt [I have a story on FictionPress.com if anyone's interested.] so any suggestions or advice are welcome.  This story is AU and is similar to late Middle Ages Europe but I've changed some things, just because I can!  Well I hope people don't find this story to be too confusing, it should get better later so hang tight and enjoy the story.

***

**~Prologue~**

            Dark and mysterious things are said most often to take place on the night of a full moon.  Whether it is men who take the shape of wolves to stalk the night in search of human victims or some dark meeting of supernatural beings, the night of a full moon would be the time for it.  Just like this night.

            The air was thick with humidity and the scent of rain as the black clouds obscured the full harvest moon.  The sky flashed irregularly with flickers of lightning and the only sounds were the faint rumblings of approaching thunder.  All the animals and insects of the forest were silent due either to the late hour or the coming storm.  There were no villages in this part of the Bayrische Wald, not only was it incredibly isolated but it is also rumored to be cursed.  The only people who dare come here are the Gypsies.  Only these mysterious nomadic folk dare to enter areas such as this.  They do so to escape from those who would persecute them, to leave human society behind in favor of nature. 

Gypsies, long considered by all to be the scum of the earth, who in their right minds would willingly seek them out on a night such as this one?  The Count of the Bayrische Wald, Johann Wagner, that's who.  Under normal circumstances he would not be out here looking for Gypsies, he would rather be at home in bed with his wife.  But even if he were at home right now, his wife would not be there.  She had disappeared a few days earlier, only hours after the birth of their first child.  Now he was left to raise the child, a son, alone.

            So why was he out here in the middle of the night, when it was threatening to storm, in a part of his forest that was cursed, looking for Gypsies?  The answer to that question lay in his newborn son, Kurt.  His son was also the reason why his wife had vanished, for Kurt was different from other newborn infants and not necessarily in a good way.  When his son had been born the attending mid-wives had taken one look at him and broke into a panic and run.  Only the Count's quick thinking and very loyal head of the guard had prevented their escape.  God only knows what could have happened if they had been allowed to leave and tell his subjects what they had seen.  Kurt had been kept secret for now, but if he was ever discovered the Count would be ruined.  So now here he was looking for Gypsies in a part of his lands that was haunted, searching for a solution to his son's "problem".

            He had been walking since sunset, heading for this place after his head guard, Heinrich Brunner, learned of rumors that Gypsies were heading that way.  If even half the stories concerning these "Romani" were true then they could at least point him in the right direction, if not fix the "problem" themselves.  So Johann continued looking despite his growing fatigue for the rumored Gypsy tribe camped in his forest in a desperate attempt to save not only his son, but himself.  For if his son were ever seen by any of his subjects or anyone outside his realm he would be denounced as a sinner of the highest order for siring such a creature.  He would bring his noble family to shame, lose all his holdings, and be lucky if all they did was burn him at the stake.  And he did not wish to contemplate what fate would befall Kurt himself, his innocent child who had not yet truly had the chance to live.  This was what drove him to such extreme lengths, what made him stoop so low as to beg _Gypsies _for help.  There wasn't any guarantee that they would even hear him out, let alone help him, but it was all he could think to do.  At least they wouldn't tell anyone about Kurt except other Gypsies so there was no risk of anyone else finding out.

            It was so dark now that Johann couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, forcing him to find his way by feel.  The flashes of lightning were growing more frequent now, and the following crash of thunder followed swifter and with greater volume.  The lightning illuminated the forest with an irregular, eerie light and the air grew heavier, more oppressive with each passing minute.  When the storm finally decided to let loose, it would be hell on earth for awhile.  The Count forced himself to ignore the threatening weather and continued his, so far, fruitless search for the elusive wanderer tribe.  He took advantage of the lightning when he could to better navigate through the forest and prevent himself from losing his way in the murky darkness.

Nothing would stop him from finding them, not the thick humid air, not the threat of the storm, not the lightning nor the thunder would stop him.  The storm was so close now that the next lightning flash was followed immediately by a tremendous crash of thunder that seemed to make even the ancient trees shake.  But the thunder had an unexpected side effect that did stop the Count, it woke little Kurt up and made him cry.  For a moment Johann was at a complete loss, he knew nothing about babies, that was for women to worry about.  But he didn't have a wife anymore, he was in the middle of nowhere with a crying baby and he didn't have a clue.  

For a moment he was frozen, what should he do?  He couldn't leave baby Kurt to cry, that would be cruel and the infant's wails would drive him insane any way.  Johann removed the child from the improvised sling on his back and thought to what he'd seen his women servants do with the child in the days before he decided on this course of action.  As he tried to soothe his son he wondered for the hundredth time what on earth he'd done to deserve this.  He done his best to be fair to his subjects, always been loyal to his Kaiser, treated his servants and wife with the utmost respect, and never missed his Sunday mass.  Now his wife, who he loved with all his heart, had left him with a son who could destroy him simply by existing and he didn't know what he could do about it.

Johann wondered if the heat and sleep deprivation was getting to him because right at that moment he wanted to burst out laughing.  Here he was, the Count of the Bayrische Wald, trying to calm down a bawling baby in the deepest part of the forest while looking for the wandering tribe of Gypsies.  He must look so ridiculous at this moment trying, rather clumsily, to rock his infant son to stop his cries.  And it wasn't working, at all.  If anyone was watching him he was sure they would be laughing their head off, but no one was in sight so he was safe from that embarrassment.  So he near jumped out of his skin when some one _did_ laugh

The Count immediately sought out the witness to his scene in the patchy light, hoping this person would lead him to some shelter or better yet, the Gypsies.  After a few frustrating minutes he spotted a small child holding a partly covered lantern half hidden by a massive tree trunk.  The little girl child giggled at his obvious inexperience with infants and probably his bad luck in general.  But on closer inspection she was not the average little girl in the woods, she was dressed in a unique, gaudy style which could only mean one thing.  He had finally found what he had been looking for.

After what felt like ages to the exhausted Count he managed to communicate to the young girl that he needed help and a place to stay for the remainder of the night.  He first tried to speak directly to her, but that got him nowhere.  The Count tried Hoch_ Deutsch, Platt Deutsch, and a host of minor Germanic dialects before he remembered that Gypsies weren't German.  The Gypsies have their own culture, separate from the rest of Europe.  They have their own customs, traditions, religion, and, just to make his life miserable, their own language.  So the Count was left to try and use hand gestures to get across what it was that he wanted from her.  Johann was about to give up when she finally seemed to understand, or at least guess what his request was.  She cheerfully led him to an area where the trees were a bit more spread out and there was room for the brightly painted wagons that served as homes for the nomadic tribe._

He received many stares from the other Gypsies as he passed, some curious, most hostile.  He was an outsider far from home, and as far as they saw it, on their turf now.  But the little girl was oblivious to this as she continued to lead him through the maze of wagon houses, campfires, horses, and Romani.  Their brightly colored wagons were drawn in circles around the fires; the horses were just outside tied to trees or bushes.  The Gypsy men were crowded around the fires talking and laughing about things.  But when they saw him they would stop and watch him pass, studying him to see if he was any threat.  Johann was glad that he had accepted Ulrich's advice in what to wear, if he had worn his usual well made clothes they might have stopped him.  This night he was wearing old, borrowed clothes, he looked like a harmless beggar man with a baby.

She finally stopped in front of one wagon and called to whoever was inside and young boy who looked very similar to her in age and appearance poked his head out side, saw Johann, and then promptly fled back into his home.  After a few long minutes a woman greeted him, or at least he thought she greeted him for he didn't understand a word she said to him.

"I'm terribly sorry," the Count replied.  "But I don't speak Romani; I do need some help though."  The Gypsy woman stared at him in utter disbelief before she burst out laughing.

"Well look at what we have here!"  She crowed in strangely accented German.  "A German who wants help from the Romani!  What in the world would you need help from one of us for?"  She asked, clearly amused by this strange turn of events.  Johann paused for a moment to gather his courage to continue with his plea.

"Well for one thing it looks as if it will rain soon and I have nowhere else to go, my home is too far away.  And for another I was hoping I might get your assistance.  I need some help with my son and you were the only people that I think could help me."  The woman paused to consider before she answered him.

"You look terrible of course you may rest with us out of this coming storm.  But I don't know if we can help your son.  Come inside and we will see what we can do."  The Count wearily obeyed as the two little children milled around his legs and generally made a nuisance of themselves.  The woman first spoke with the girl, her daughter he guessed, then turned to him.  "Let me see this son of yours."  She demanded, holding out her arms to take the infant.  Reluctantly the Count relinquished his hold on the now calm but still alert newborn.  When she saw him, really got a good look at him she nearly dropped him.  Her eyes grew wide in her horror at the sight of him and she let out something in Romani that Johann suspected were curses.  After she recovered her composure she demanded he explain himself.

The Count did his best starting with the birth and his wife abandoning him and ended with his arrival in her camp and the help he was hoping to find here.  She eyed him a long time as if she were reading his soul to see if he told her the truth.  Then she seemed to come to a conclusion and let out a sigh.  "You may stay the night.  In the morning I will have to meet with the heads of the families to decide if I will be allowed to help you.  I want to help, but we all must agree.  And the price for such an action must be decided for it will not be free.  Go to sleep now, I will take care of your son for the night since, according to Jimaine, you don't have a clue."  The Count was too wrung out to disagree; he lay on the bed provided him and immediately fell asleep.  A few minutes later the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down as the storm finally began.


	2. 18 Years After

***Chapter 1*******

**~18 Years After...~**

            It was a cool spring morning, the sun was a few minutes from rising and the ground was cloaked in a thick blanket of fog.  The sky was a deep blue slowly bleaching to silver-gray; the night stars were beginning to fade leaving only the brightest behind to face the coming sun.  All was quiet in the rural stretch of land just west of London, no living thing dared to break the pre-dawn silence.  No living thing, save a rooster that is.

            _Damn rooster.  Why can't it let me sleep?  These were the first conscious thoughts of Katharine Pryde, who was desperately trying to sleep a little longer, and failing.  Katharine, who preferred to be called Kitty, buried her head under her pillow for a few seconds before giving up the now futile pursuit of more sleep.  She sleepily dragged herself out of her incredibly comfortable bed and stumbled to the window to open the shutters.  _Great, the sun isn't even up yet.  I could've slept another hour at least.  Crazy rooster, why does it have to get up so damn early?  _She pulled a face at the offending fowl, cursing it in both English and German.  Kitty finished her litany of curses before she prepared herself for the day.  She washed her face with ice cold water, brushed out her hair, and selected a dress to wear.  _

            Kitty was not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, so when she came across some of her cheerful, wide awake housemates on her way to breakfast there was bound to be an argument of some kind or another.  Today her "victim" was Robert Drake, the self-proclaimed "Iceman".  He was the biggest prankster of them all and proud of it.  He was always happy, usually laughing about something.  And he was the worst possible person for Kitty to meet in the morning.

            "Good morning _Shadowcat_!  Did you sleep well?"  Kitty paused, trying to reign in her temper.

            "Yes I did sleep well Bobby."  Kitty replied.  "But it would have been better if that rooster hadn't interrupted it.  And I have told you repeatedly not to call me Shadowcat.  I really don't see how that name applies to me."  Kitty had tried to be polite when she answered Bobby, but she couldn't fully erase the irritation that tainted her voice.  He only grinned at her before launching into an explanation of his nickname for her.

            "It makes perfect sense when you think about it.  The cat part comes from Kitty and the shadow part comes from your skill."  Kitty glanced at him before she spoke.

            "I can understand the cat, but the shadow makes no sense to me.  I don't turn into a shadow or really do anything with shadows, so it doesn't work."  She then turned away from him and resumed her trek to the dining hall, forcing Bobby to scamper after her.

            "The shadow part does make sense!"  He protested, lengthening his stride to keep up with her increased pace.

            "How so?"  She inquired; her tone had an edge, as if she were daring him to prove her wrong.

            "Simple, can you touch a shadow?"  He asked.

            "Of course not.  What does that have to do with anything?"  Kitty replied her annoyance and confusion growing.

            "Well when you use your skill no one can touch you either.  You may not look like a shadow, but in a sense you are just like one."  Iceman finished his explanation and turned to his reluctant companion.  "Do you understand now?"

            "Yes." Kitty answered.  "Now would you please leave?  I'm going to enjoy my breakfast and then I'm going to talk to Jean."

            "Sure!"  He said cheerfully.  "I'll just talk with you after you've finished with Jean then!"  Iceman then proceeded to dash of to his customary seat before the grumpy Shadowcat had a chance to explode at him.  

Kitty paused once again to regain a hold on her temper before seating herself at the table.  Her place was between the two most quiet and mysterious residents of Lord Xaiver's mansion.  This suited her just fine since she rarely felt the need to converse during her meals.

The person on her left was Marie, who preferred to be called Rogue.  She had no family name as far as anyone knew and no real past.  She had just appeared out of nowhere one night during a storm a few years previous.  She'd been soaking wet without a single copper to her name and no place to stay.  Lord Xaiver took pity on her and allowed her to stay.  Eventually it was learned that she had a very unique skill.  When she touches a person, skin to skin contact, she drains them.  She takes their energy, their memories, their personality, and if they have a skill, she takes that too.  If she were to hold on long enough, she could kill, and if they had a skill it would be hers forever.

Because of this as well as her unknown origins, she isolates herself from everyone so they will be safe and so she won't be hurt again.  She already had killed one person, that much about her past was known for certain.  When Rogue first appeared she had two distinct personalities, hers and someone else's.  The second was violent, destructive and she was constantly at war with it.  She held conversations with herself that usually ended with lots of screaming and sometimes tried to hurt herself.  It was several weeks before she agreed to let Xaiver help her.  He used his abilities to excise the alien personality and give her some peace.  But the Lord was unable to remove one thing, the victim's skills.  Rogue, in addition to her "draining" abilities, now was able to fly and was nearly impervious to damage.  At first, Rogue hadn't wanted them; they reminded her of her crime.  But she was stuck with them for the rest of her life and had grown to accept them.  That didn't mean she had to like it though.

The person on her right was Logan, the Wolverine.  No one was certain if his name was even really Logan.  He was just called that because it was the only name he could remember.  Where Rogue's past was known but not told, Logan's wasn't known at all.  Something had caused Logan to forget everything, he had amnesia.  Not even the Lord, Charles Xavier, could find any answers for the Cursed man.  All Xavier's attempts to help restore the Wolverine's memory met with complete failure.  But Logan had faith in his friend's abilities; he was certain that one day he would remember.  In return for all the help that Xavier had given him the Wolverine defended the mansion and all those who took shelter there.  For, even though he had amnesia, he still remembered how to fight, and he was very good at it.  That was the reason he came to be called Wolverine in the first place, he was just as tough, just as mean, and just as feral as the animal itself.  His heightened senses and animal instincts combined with his human intelligence made him a truly challenging opponent for any warrior.  Add to that his supernatural healing abilities that made near him invincible and his unnatural metal claws, and no normal man could stand a chance against him.  Only another of the Cursed had any hope of surviving him, let alone beating him.  He may not be the biggest but he was the meanest and that made all the difference.

But that didn't bother Kitty one bit.  He may be a tough warrior that preferred to kill first and ask questions later, but he did have a soft side.  Logan may treat most of the young people here like children, but he did respect them and would defend them from the cruel outside world that had rejected them.  In fact Kitty was one of his favorites, not that he would ever admit it.  Despite being female and having a seemingly useless skill she still wouldn't hesitate to jump headlong into a fight.  She refused to be treated any different than the guys and could be as stubborn as a mule when she wanted.  One would thing being intangible in a fight was a useless power unless you were running away, but she didn't see it that way.  Kitty found ways to use her power to her advantage, and the fact that she was very good with a sword didn't hurt either.  For a woman to use a sword was unheard of.  Rogue was the only other woman in the mansion that used a weapon at all, and she used daggers.  Why Kitty used a sword was unknown, not even the Lord knew and she wasn't telling.  There were a lot of things that were unknown about Kitty, despite her outgoing and friendly attitude she still kept her secrets to herself.  And she had no intention of telling unless she had to, and she didn't have to.

Kitty finished her breakfast in silence as usual before she began her morning chores.  She had to wash the dishes from breakfast and clean the kitchen today.  Once she finished that, she planned on practicing with her sword for a while, and then she would find Jean.  Kitty had made up the excuse that she wanted to talk to Jean just so he would leave her alone, but it wasn't a bad idea really.  After all, Jean was older and wiser than Kitty practically ensuring good advice for any problem she might have.  And Jean was nice.  She may be busy having a husband and young son to look after, but she always found time for her younger friends.  

Kitty proceeded to collect the used dishes while saying her good-mornings to all the residents a bit more cheerfully than she had to Bobby.  She hummed a little tune as she rolled up her sleeves in preparation for her assault on the dirty dishes.  As the monotony of her task began to get to her, she allowed her thoughts to drift aimlessly.  She wondered what she would talk to Jean about.  Maybe they would hit on the usual topic of men, what were they thinking, who was interested in whom, that type of thing.  _Or maybe, maybe we'll talk about something else.  Kitty glanced at her left hand absently, studying the simple ring that she wore.  __Then again maybe not._


	3. Claws and Scars

***Chapter 2*******

**~Claws and Scars~**

            The gentle spring sun continued on its path through the sky, now halfway to its zenith.  The fog had since been burned away, revealing the gentle rolling expanse of grassy fields.  Every so often a lonely stand of trees would break the rippling expanse of grass and brush, creating points of interest on the open moor.  The sky above was dotted with a few fluffy clouds hinting at a beautiful, rain-free day.  The animals of the moor went about their business of day-to-day survival, oblivious to the mighty stone mansion in the midst of their environment.

            The mansion itself was a massive structure made of pale gray stone in the gothic style.  It had an enclosed courtyard in the center that served as a training area and private garden.  There was also a stable situated near the sheltered side of the building with a large enclosed field for the horses.  The interior of the giant residence had a large dinning hall, ballroom, and indoor training room.  There was also a large kitchen, library, and an enormous number of bedrooms.  But there were no servants' quarters, which was most unusual.

Instead of servants, the residents cleaned and repaired the mansion themselves.  They cooked their own meals, tended the garden, and looked after the horses as a sort of payment to Lord Xavier for allowing them to stay in his home.  And these people were no ordinary people.  They were individuals who had been rejected by society because they were thought to be Cursed.  They had strange, supernatural abilities that frightened and confused ordinary people.  But Lord Xavier was no ordinary man; he was one of the Cursed himself, able to see into the minds of whomever he wished.  He opened his home to others like him, giving them a home where they would be safe among people who weren't afraid, who understood them.

Most of those who he had found were young children, in danger of being rejected from their families on the belief that the devil was working through them.  Sometimes he would get to them in time, before they were thrown out on the streets or hurt by those they loved and trusted.  Other times he was too late, they were scarred by their experiences and only love and time could heal them.  Some scars, Charles feared, might never heal no matter what he did.  But he would never stop trying to save, shelter, and heal as many as he could; it was not in his nature to give up on something he started.  

The Lord of the mansion rested in his spacious library reflecting on his unusual life.  Being the first born son of a wealthy and powerful English lord meant he had always led a privileged life.  His parents were truly great people, at an early age they instilled in him the idea that he had a duty to look after other people less fortunate than himself.  He should treat even the lowliest peasant with respect no matter the situation.  He had never forgotten that and it had served him well.  All through his long life he had done what he could to help those in need.  When he still had servants to run his home he had never been cruel or unjust to them.  When he no longer needed them he made sure they found new positions in the households of friends who would not mistreat them.  When he had been struck down by a band of thieves who masked themselves with a spell and left to die on the road an innkeeper he once helped came to his aid.  Without the innkeeper's help he would not have survived or he could have been crippled more than he was now.  As it was Xavier could barely make it from his room to the dining hall for breakfast in the morning without help.  But Charles never let his compromised mobility slow him down, he continued on this new crusade without pause.

Charles ended his reminiscing and reached out his consciousness to observe the people that he shared his home with.  The first he found was former Lord Henry McCoy who was somewhere in the library with him.  The former noble was more of a scholar than anything else, always looking for some new book to read or theory to test.  It was his curiosity that got him into trouble in the first place.  Henry, or Hank as he preferred to be known, was experimenting with exotic chemicals when a powerful reaction had activated his latent Curse, transforming him.  He became a strange sort of blue-furred ape-like beast with violent instincts, incredible strength, and heightened senses.  He was branded a monster and driven from his home near the borders of Scotland and England.  Hank ran for nearly a fortnight before he found himself outside Charles's door.  While he may have the body of a beast he still had the mind of a man, Xavier saw this instantly and invited him to stay.  The exiled lord agreed and ever since has been the master of the mansions library.  Because of his appearance there was little chance he could ever leave here but he had yet to mind that fact, perfectly content with his new home.

Xavier continued on, his mind's reach spiraling outward till he reached the garden in the courtyard.  Here he found Ororo, the former demi-goddess of the far southern lands of Africa.  She was a very unusual woman; she had the dark skin of a Moor but the blue eyes of a European and snow white hair of someone many times her age.  It was not her appearance that granted her near god-like status in her homeland; however, it was her ability to influence the weather.  She could end a drought by causing it to rain and slow a flood by making the sun shine hot and bright.  But she was tricked and captured by slave traders and brought to Europe to be a slave.  She was kept quiet with drugs and spells so she would not resist, but one day she broke free.  Ororo summoned a great storm and flooded her master's land before she could be stopped.  She was nearly executed for that, but was spared at the last minute by Charles.  He bought Ororo from her master and brought her to his home.  She was unsure of his offer to stay with him until she had seen his garden, it was beautiful but in need of a gardener.  So that became her job, she tended the garden and would look after the younger children that Xavier brought back, giving advice and guidance when needed.

Not far beyond Ororo was Logan, Xavier observed, watching one of the children practice on the training grounds.  Logan was the first Cursed One he found, revealing that there were others out there like him.  Charles had found him on a visit to the Germanic port city of Hamburg, wandering the streets with a lost air about him.  Before Charles could stop it, a group of thugs attempted to rob the wanderer.  Logan lashed out with his unnatural claws and killed or wounded all of them in a matter of seconds before calmly walking away.  Xavier followed the strange man with his mind till he found where he was staying.  Logan hadn't trusted the Lord at first, but when Xavier proved his abilities to the feral man he opened up.  Logan asked Charles if he could help restore his lost memory, and though the Lord failed, he did learn that the strange metal claws and the metal lining the feral's body was the result of a spell.  An unknown mage had taken metal from a fallen star and used a spell to bond it to Logan's bones.  The only reason that Logan survived the spell was his healing abilities, but that wasn't enough to save his mind.  The Lord had tried several times since then to restore the wild man's memory but always failed.  In spite of this Logan remained with him and they had become good friends.

The Lord Xavier then focused his mind on the young person that Logan was watching so intently.  The young woman turned out to be Katharine Pryde, practicing with her sword against an invisible opponent.  She was one of his scarred children.  Kitty had never been thrown out of her home like some had, but maybe it would have been better that way.  Her parents were good people; they were part of a wealthy merchant family that made their money from new world tobacco and coffee.  They loved their only child very much and only wanted the best for her.  They had arranged a marriage for her with the son of a friend of her father's.  She seemed set for life; she had a wealthy family and an engagement to another wealthy family.  Kitty was beautiful, even as a child, she was smart and had a wonderful personality.  But when her Curse appeared her perfect little life came crashing down.

Her parents were unable to deal with her phantom-like abilities and there was some problem that appeared with her engagement.  Xavier didn't know any details, she refused to tell him and he would not pry.  All he knew was that her Curse isolated her in her own home; no one would go near her.  She had trouble with her new-found power at first, falling through floors and doors without meaning too, dropping things, and nightmares of falling.  It wore her down and she slid so far into darkness that she nearly died.  Xavier knew someone in her home must have saved her, but Kitty refused to reveal who, only that the person who made her life bearable was gone.  She sought solace in her male friend Lance Alvers, the son of a knight, who was Cursed like her.  She admitted to Charles that she had an affair of sorts with this boy, but now truly saw him for what he was: a cruel boy who only lusted after her and would do anything to get her, even act nice in front of her.  She rejected him and, for a time, was alone and mildly melancholic.  She pulled herself free, however, and tried to move on with her life.

When Xavier came to visit her family to discuss business he was confused at the treatment of the little girl he saw.  Her family refused to speak of her only saying that she was their daughter and not to pay her any mind.  Before he left Charles made time to speak with the child and learned something of her problems.  When he told her of his home and the people he brought to live there she begged to come too.  He had been surprised and asked why she would want to her home and family behind to come with him.  She said that she couldn't stand it here anymore and was certain her parents would let her, they were ashamed of her and would be glad if she left.  Xavier asked and sure enough they were more than happy to send her away.  She didn't bring much with her when they left, only two trunks of dresses, a few books, and a sword.  Kitty had only been fourteen then.

Now she was a mature seventeen year old woman.  She seemed happier now, among friends who she considered her family.  But she still carried her scars deep in her soul where no one would see them, no one but Xavier.  The Lord would not pry, if she choose not to talk about it he would leave it be unless is caused a problem.  She still had occasional trouble with Lance and the situation with her engagement was unknown, but aside from that she seemed to be back on track with her life.  But Kitty was still haunted by something; Charles could sense it as he watched her practice.  Logan knew it too, that's why he looked after her like he did.  He admired her spirit, but worried for her soul.  There were many things she hadn't told anyone about her life before the mansion, things not even her guardian Lord Xavier knew, and that worried him.  But he would not pry, if she wouldn't tell him that was her choice, she was an adult and he wouldn't force her.  He trusted her judgment in this matter; if she needed help she would get it.

Charles shook off the dark thoughts and concentrated instead on her performance.  She had a terrible grace to her movements as she wielded the light long sword.  She had come to the mansion already knowing something about sword fighting, but her education was incomplete.  Logan had stepped forward and become her new teacher, but he was unfamiliar with the style she knew.  So he started from scratch and taught her the styles he was knowledgeable in instead.  She was a good student and learned quickly, now barely three years after she began she was almost as deadly with her sword as Logan was.  Why she knew anything about swords at all was another mystery, somehow Charles doubted it was her parent's idea for her to learn it.  As she went through the motions she reminded both observing men of a lithe cat, the sword was her claws.  She was a scarred cat, with a shadowy past, and very sharp claws.  She was the Shadowcat and no one would have her any other way.


	4. Conversations

***Chapter 3*******

**~Conversations~**

            It was after lunch before Kitty found the time to talk with Jean since her sword practice ended up taking longer than she had planned.  It took some searching through the twisting corridors of the mansion before Kitty located the red-haired psychic.  Jean was putting her four-year-old son down for his afternoon nap when Kitty approached her.  Now that Nathan was sleeping Jean had some free time and Kitty needed someone other than Bobby to talk to.

            "Hi Jean, did you have a good morning?"  Kitty asked quietly, mindful of the sleeping child.  Since she had spent the morning doing chores and practicing she was eager to see if she missed any interesting happenings.

            "Yes I did," she replied.  "And you didn't miss much."  She added before Kitty could ask.  "The only thing involved Bobby, and you're talking to me right now to avoid him again aren't you."  The way she said it made it a statement, not a question.  Jean Grey-Summers was a mind-reader, Kitty didn't have to say a word, Jean knew already.  

            "Yes I am, but I really want to talk anyway."  Kitty replied.  "Even if it does involve Iceman I would like to hear it, especially if it is at his expense."

            "Well, if you insist.  Bobby finished his chores in record time, probably to get more time to spend with you."  Jean couldn't help but smile at Kitty's partly horrified, partly disgusted expression upon hearing this.  "So he was standing around with nothing to do since he had no desire to interrupt your practice.  He must have become incredibly bored because he offered to watch Nathan for a while."  Her smile widened at Kitty's shock, Bobby found small children, like Nathan, irritating and avoided them like the plague.  He must have been truly desperate to make such an offer.  "Of course I let him, and of course I spied on him to make sure things went well.  Bobby made a valiant effort, I must say, but Nathan ran him ragged in the end.  Poor Bobby looked like a horse ran over him before he gave up and brought Nathan back to me.  He went to clean up but he's still looking for you.  I think that's so cute, he chases after you the way he does.  But you won't give him a chance, why is that?"  Jean asked, genuinely curious about the reason for Kitty's constant rejection of poor little Robert Drake.

            "Well for one thing I don't like him."  Kitty began; she paused to organize her thoughts before continuing.  "He's never serious about anything, always joking and flirting with any girl who is remotely pretty.  He has that bad habit of using his powers irresponsibly, like when he froze Ray's bathwater solid as revenge for when he was beaten in some card game.  He is a year younger than I am, and he acts much younger than that.  And on top of all of that, I have no romantic interest in him what-so-ever.  I don't mind being friends with him, but I can't see myself courting him."  She finished her little speech on the many flaws of Bobby Drake and awaited Jean's response.

            "Well I do admit he is rather immature, he can be terribly annoying, and he is rarely serious about anything.  But you never really gave him a chance in the first place.  Every time he tried to gain your favor you either turned him down before he could get started or ignored him completely.  How can you honestly say you have no romantic interest in him if you do that?  If you did give him a chance you might find that you like him more than you thought.  Or does liking him as more than a friend scare you?"  Jean asked in response.  Kitty knew that what Jean said was true, but she wasn't free to do as her friend suggested.  There was one more reason why she could not court Bobby Drake, but she didn't dare think of it, lest Jean find out.  And Kitty wasn't sure she was ready for Jean to know about that just yet.

            "Maybe, but I don't think so.  Besides, if Bobby stopped blindly chasing me and took a good look around him, he'd see that someone else is interested in him.  God only knows how long Jubilee has liked him.  If only he noticed, or she got the guts to admit it, they could make a great couple."  Kitty finished with a sigh of exasperation.  Sometimes people could be so silly when it came to their personal feelings.  Not that she was exempt from that, from time to time in the past she'd been as bad as anyone.

            "You have a point there," Jean conceded.  "But will you at least consider what I said?"

            "Of course Jean, you know I will."  Kitty chirped cheerfully.

            "Good, now why don't you go and find poor Bobby and cheer him up a bit, okay?"  Jean spoke in a voice that made the inquiry into a command.

            "I suppose I must."  Kitty sighed in resignation.  "Well I'm off then, see you at dinner!"  She turned and left the room, searching reluctantly for her despised, not-so-secret admirer.  She vainly hoped that he would be hard to find, but luck was not on her side today.  Bobby was sitting next to the goldfish pond in the center of Ororo's garden doing something few people saw him do.  The ever bright and cheerful Iceman was swirling his fingers in the pond and he was sulking.  _Great, just what I need, a sulky little boy who just so happens to be infatuated with me, somebody up there must hate me today.  The only thing that will cheer him up is me, and if I do then he'll become even more smitten with me.  And that's the last thing on earth that I want.  Well, here goes nothing._

"Hello Bobby, have a rough day today?"  Kitty asked, forcing a small smile.  Bobby looked up, realized who was speaking to him, and instantly forgot that he was sulking.

            "Kitty!"  He joyously exclaimed.  "I didn't think you'd talk to me."

            "Why ever would you think that?"  She asked him innocently.

            "Well, uh, you seem to ignore me whenever I'm around.  And you never take me seriously when you do notice me."  Iceman replied nervously, fiddling with a fallen leaf.

            "Okay," Kitty admitted after a short pause.  "Maybe I have been ignoring you a bit lately, but don't take it too hard.  I've just had a lot on my mind as of late."  _There, that wasn't a lie.  Just don't ask about it._

"Oh?  What's bothering you?"  Bobby asked, looking mildly concerned.  If something was bothering Kitty Pryde it had to be pretty bad for her to admit it.

            "Nothing's wrong."  Kitty answered quickly.  "It's nothing important, I really shouldn't have let it get to me the way it did.  I'll be fine, really.  You have nothing to worry about."  She assured him.  He studied her suspiciously for a moment before responding.

            "Are you sure about that?"  Iceman asked.  Shadowcat nodded.  "Alright, if you're sure about it then I won't ask."  Kitty smiled in relief, but it was short lived.  "But I do have a question for you though."  _Why do I have a bad feeling about this?  Kitty wondered with mounting dread.  "Would you like to attend the London Play Festival this coming week?  With me, that is."  Bobby added the last sentence hurriedly when he realized that he hadn't said who she would go with.  Kitty felt her heart sink down somewhere near her shoes, if not completely in them yet.  What on earth could she say that wouldn't completely crush him?_

            "I really would like to go, but I think that I will have to pass."  She said finally.

            "Why?"  Bobby asked.  _Damn him, why does he have to use the kicked puppy look?  I hate that!_

"Because I promised Amara that I'd help her with her new horse next week."  At Bobby blank look she elaborated.  "You remember, Lord Xavier ordered a few new horses and they should be here next week.  Amara doesn't have a horse yet and I promised I'd help her pick and work with one."

            "Oh."  Iceman said in a small voice.  "I see, well if you change your mind or anything let me know."  Bobby slipped back into his earlier sulking mode, gazing forlornly over the fish pond.

            "I'm really sorry, I wish I could go but I already promised my time to someone else.  Maybe next time okay?"  Kitty said in a final but futile attempt to lessen the impact of her refusal.  "Anything else you want to talk about?"  She asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

            "No," he said dully.  "That was it."

            "Okay then, good bye."  Shadowcat mumbled as she left to the stables to take care of he horse Phantom.

            _//Everyone, please assemble in the dining hall immediately.//  The foreign thought intruded into the minds of all the residents of the mansion most unexpectedly.  They all stopped whatever it was that they were doing and complied with the mental instructions.  Lord Charles Xavier rarely used such a means to communicate with them and he had called for everyone.  Whatever it was that was happening must be serious indeed..._


	5. Destiny Scrolls

***Chapter 4*******

**~Destiny Scrolls~**

            The dining hall was abuzz with gossip as the assembled residents awaited the Lord's arrival.  Why had he called them?  What was going on?  What had their benefactor learned that was so important?  The worried murmurs ceased only when Xavier himself slowly hobbled into the hall.  The old crippled man limped towards his chair at the head of the long oak table with the aid of a cane where he slowly seated himself.  He set his worn cane aside, folded his hands on the table, and collected his thoughts before beginning.  Everyone was silent, wondering what he was going to tell them.

            "Thank you all for coming so promptly, I appreciate it."  The aged Lord swept his gaze over those assembled before him before he continued.  "This morning I received a letter from an old friend of mine.  This letter warned of a great potential danger.  Something was stolen from the ancient temple located on Muir Isle, where this friend lives.  If this item were to fall into the wrong hands the world we know could possibly be destroyed or changed beyond recognition."  If they hadn't been paying attention before, they certainly were now, Lord Xavier rarely, if ever, exaggerated.  "This friend seeks my assistance in recovering this object, and I have agreed.  But I'm not as young as I used to be and my health isn't what I wish it to be.  So, regrettably, I must ask some of you to help me in this matter."  Charles paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in.  "I am unable to say much more on this matter save to those who will be going, but I will try to answer any questions that I can.  So are there any questions or volunteers?"  Xavier asked, bracing himself for the inevitable questions that were about to come.

            "Do you know where this thing was taken?"  Rahne asked.

            "I am not entirely certain as of yet, but is most likely that it has been taken to the European mainland."  Xavier replied.

            "When do the volunteers leave?"  Roberto questioned.

            "As soon as I narrow the search area and arrange for transport, the earliest it could be is around two weeks or so."  Xavier answered.

            "Can you tell us what we'd be looking for?"  Ray asked, sounding rather irritated.

            "No, I can only tell those who will be sent to retrieve it."  Charles said apologetically.

            "Can I go!?"  A wide-eyed Nathan asked eagerly.

            "No, Nathan, I'm afraid that you are a bit too young to go.  And I don't think that your parents would appreciate it either."  Xavier replied, greatly amused at the youngster's enthusiasm.  "Are there any other questions?"  Lord Xavier's question was met with silence.  "Now who are the volunteers?"  Xavier asked.  He just hoped they all wouldn't want to go.  The first volunteer was no surprise to anyone present.

            "I'll go."  Logan said.  It was all he needed to say, and Charles nodded in agreement.  The next to step forward, however, was a surprise.

            "I'd like to go."  Jean offered.  This stunned all those present, most especially her husband.

            "Are you sure Jean?  What about your family?"  The Lord inquired curiously, stepping in before her husband Scott could say anything.

            "Of course I'm sure, why else would I have volunteered?  And as for my family, they'll be fine without me.  Nathan has said numerous times that he wants his father to spend more time with him, if I leave he'll have too!"  She said cheerfully.  Scott looked a bit guilty as he slid a bit lower in his chair.  "And besides, I may not be as powerful as you, Lord Xavier, but I can still read minds and that is a useful skill is it not?"  She asked jokingly.

            "Well I don't know."  Scott said after a pause.  "Nathan, what do you think?  Should Mommy go?"  Scott asked his young son.  Nathan made a show of thinking hard about his answer before he replied.

            "If Mommy really wants to go, then she should go.  You get to go and do stuff all the time Daddy, now it's Mommy's turn!"  Said Nathan cheerily, applying his childish logic to the situation.  "So long as Mommy comes home in time for my birthday it's okay with me."  He said finally.

            "I suppose that settles it then.  Since your birthday is a long way off I see no problem with your request."  Xavier said to the young boy.  Jean appeared to be satisfied with the Lord's decision though Scott wasn't quite as thrilled.  They'd probably argue about it later, but Scott would still lose.

            "I wish to go as well."  Piotr Rasputin, the man Bobby called _Colossus_, volunteered.  The Lord nodded his approval to the muscular Russian while wondering who else would join this mysterious quest.

            "I want to go too."  A young, feminine voice called out.  Everyone turned to find the speaker and once again were surprised.  

            "May I ask why, Katharine?"  Xavier asked.

            "Well, for one, I've always wanted to visit Europe.  I've heard some interesting things about it and want to see for myself."  Kitty said.

            "Half-Pint," Logan interrupted.  "This isn't some sort of vacation, if that's your reason."

            "I wasn't finished," Kitty replied, irritated at the interruption.  "For another, I could get into places that most others can't without getting caught.  And if I do, not many would believe it, I can look very innocent if I want to.  If this thing that we are supposed to get is locked away in a castle, I can walk right to it.  Is that a better reason Mr. Logan?"  The Shadowcat asked the feral man.  He only growled some oaths in various languages in response.  Kitty listened intently, especially when she heard the last venomous string of curses, looked confused for a minute, and then she burst out laughing.

            "What's so funny," he growled.  

            "What makes you think that girls are in any way related to squirrels, birds, or foxes?"  She countered, grinning when her comment had the desired effect.  The Wolverine was shocked to silence, how had she known what he said?  "I know that you are not fluent in Germanic Mr. Logan, neither am I.  But I do know at least as much as you do, if not a bit more.  Which is another reason why I should go; if we end up in the Germanic States I could try and help with translations some."  On that note, she rested her case, awaiting the Lord's decision.  Xavier had to admit that she had some valid points.  How she knew any Germanic was another one of her mysteries, but now was not the time to ponder it.

            "Alright Katharine, if you are sure you wish to go then I will do nothing to stop you."  He said.

            "Thank you Lord Xavier, I'm sure."  She said confidently, pleased at getting her way.

            "Is there anyone else who wishes to go?"  Xavier asked.  One hand shot up.

            "Can I go?"  Bobby pleaded, "Please, please, _please!"_

            Xavier chuckled at his eager pleas.  _Now that Katharine is going he'll do anything to follow.  He admires her so much; too bad she strikes him down every chance she gets.  I know she's had trouble with that Lance boy for some time now, perhaps that is the reason she avoids courting of any kind.  Xavier cleared his thoughts and allowed Bobby to join the group as well, much to the dismay of Kitty._

            "I think we have enough volunteers for the moment, if any others are needed I will be sure to let you know.  Now will you five please come to my office after dinner?  I will inform you further on your task there."  Xavier then grasped his cane before slowly rising to leave.  As he departed the hall began to fill with the whispered beginnings of conversations.  Many speculated on what exactly could be so important that their Lord had asked this of them, others wondered what would become of their friends on their journey through the outside world.  Kitty just cursed the fact that she would be stuck with Bobby for god-only-knew how many months.  How on earth was she going to be able to keep from killing him that long?

***

            As requested the chosen five met after dinner in the chamber of the mansion known as Lord Charles Xavier's Office.  They took seats in the somewhat spacious room near the library, moving papers, scrolls, and books as needed.  Logan lounged against a wall instead of sitting, watching Kitty recoil away from the excited Iceman with something akin to amusement.  Jean and Piotr both shook their heads at such childish behavior, praying that the Lord would arrive soon to distract them.  Their wish was granted shortly.

            A possible quarrel between the two junior members was averted when the door opened to admit the crippled Lord.  He slowly wound his way among the chairs, stacks of books, and his guests on his way to a large, very comfortable chair at the back of the room.  As he went towards his seat, the Lord sampled the emotions and surface thoughts of those present to better gauge what their reactions might be.  The Lord let a sigh escape as he carefully lowered himself down, sweeping the room with his gaze.  The silence was broken by an important question.

            "Lord Xavier, what exactly is it that we are going to find?"  Bobby asked.

            "The Destiny Scrolls."  He said simply.

            "What are those?  How are these scroll things so powerful?"  Bobby inquired.

            "These scrolls were written by an ancient seer known only as Destiny.  She was born blind but gifted with the ability to see possible futures.  Written on these scrolls are prophecies of the future, the future of all mankind."  The Lord explained.

            "How can this change the world though?"  Bobby wondered.

            "The future is not a set thing, Robert; Destiny only saw the strongest possibilities of what is to come.  If someone were to read them, there is a chance that they might seek to influence events so that the future written does not happen.  If a person with dark motivations held these scrolls they could change things however they see fit, they might even destroy the world."  Xavier replied.

            "Oh, I see."  Bobby trailed off as what he had just heard sunk in.

            "So what do we look for Charles?"  Logan asked.

            "The scrolls are sealed in a wooden box of Celtic design; it is protected by a magic seal that preserves the chest and its contents.  If the seal is broken then the scrolls with eventually disintegrate, if left intact they will last forever.  You need not worry; you will know it when you see it."  The Lord assured them.

            "When we get the chest what do we do with it?"  Jean asked.

            "Bring it back here.  Once I have it I will contact my friend and we shall discuss what should be done with it."  Xavier answered.  After a pause the Lord spoke again.  "Since there are no more questions you may leave.  However, I ask that you tell no one what I have told you.  Sleep well."  He said as he levered himself up, heading for his bedchambers.

            The five wished their noble-born friend a goodnight as they disbanded, also heading for their rooms.  Jean, Logan, and Piotr went down one hallway, Kitty and Bobby another.  The three adults traveled in companionable silence as one by one they peeled off to their separate rooms.  In the other hallway, however, Bobby was chatting up a storm.  As the two young adults went their own ways Kitty once again forced herself to not strangle her annoying friend._  If he weren't so annoying then maybe I could get along with him Kitty thought.  __But this is Bobby; it's in his nature to be annoying.  Ugh, God please give me the strength, PLEASE!_


	6. Ebb and Flow

***Chapter 5*******

**~Ebb and Flow~**

            The next few weeks were something of a blur for everyone.  While the Lord sought a starting point for the search those chosen prepared, planned, and packed.  They made agreements with friends to take over chores for however long they would be gone and made vague plans for a small feast in the groups honor.  Jean found two part-time baby-sitters in Ororo and Rogue and left a long list of instructions for her husband.  Piotr aided Logan in acquiring supplies, making Bobby their errand boy.  Kitty made it her job to prepare the groups horses, making sure that they were all healthy and that their riding gear was in good shape, still finding time to help Amara with her new horse as promised.  When all was completed at the end of the third week the planned mini-feast was held and the group left to board their boat.

            Now here they were, on a boat crossing the English Channel, headed for the French coast.  The Channel was narrow here so the ship voyage would be no longer than a day at most.  But that was too long for Bobby, however, who at this moment was suffering from a violent bout of sea-sickness.  He had never been on a sea-faring vessel before, being a carpenter's son, and, needless to say, was not enjoying himself.  No one else aboard was enjoying either, giving him a wide berth if they needed to walk near him.  If he was this bad on a calm day, they couldn't image what it would be like if a storm were to appear, and they didn't want to either.

            Kitty sat alone near the bow of the ship, on the side opposite from Bobby.  Logan was at the stern, smoking a pipe while half-listening to Jean trying some of her poetry on him.  Piotr was below-decks watching the horses.  He said that he was making sure that the horses weren't afraid; Kitty suspected that the idea of being over very deep water was the real reason.  If he didn't see it, it wasn't so, or at least that was the idea.  Shadowcat was amused by this, but it faded as her thoughts drifted to other things.  She gazed sightlessly out over the gentle swells of saltwater as memories moved through her mind like the ebb and flow of the tides.  As gulls wheeled effortlessly through the air, Katharine's mind traveled through her past.

            Her thoughts began with recent events, like how things had gone so far with Amara's horse and how Bobby slipped up on his own ice while running some errands for Logan.  But her thoughts took a turn towards the past and she remembered times when she didn't live with her friends in Lord Xavier's mansion.  Back to when she was younger, when things were simple, when she had no powers, when her parents still loved her.  Snippets of memories flowed through her mind's eye, never lingering on one image or event.  Then, for some odd reason, one memory in particular moved to the front of her mind.  This memory was of a person that she had not thought of in a long, long time and at first she tried once again to forget.  But this memory was a not a painful or sad one, and eventually she gave in, immersing herself in the past.

~ ~ ~

            Little Katharine was not a happy girl.  Today was the first day of December and the beginning of the feasting season.  Nearly everyday in this month is the feast day of some saint or another, and this was also the start of the Christmas holiday.  Little Katharine should be happy, excited, joyous, not upset like she was.  But her day had not been going well, and it showed no signs of improving.

            First, her mother had placed her in charge of the younger cousins who had recently arrived for the holidays.  Katharine's older cousins, Mary Ann and Theresa, were supposed to be helping her, but they found the older boys of neighboring residences far more interesting than their assigned duties.  This left little Katharine to watch a dozen of her younger relations, some of whom were nearly her age, all by herself.  They proved to be too much for the eight-year-old Katharine and, within the hour, the children were running amok through the feast preparations.  For this, little Katharine was severely scolded.  Her older cousins, however, somehow manage to escape any punishment.

            Second, after being yelled at, she was drafted to run errands for the adults.  The adults demanded everything be done right and be done now.  Little Katharine tried her very best to be helpful, to do things the way the grown-ups wanted, but she was only eight and nowhere near capable of meeting such expectations.  She could only move so fast and her memory could not handle multiple errands or complex messages.  As a result, she messed up her tasks more often than doing them right.  This angered her grown relatives who were only concerned with making this month of feasts and celebrations work.  They yelled at her for hr mistakes and belittled her for her clumsiness.  This lasted several hours until they relieved her of her duties.

            And third, as if her earlier troubles weren't enough, her older cousins Phillip, George, and Thomas decided to "play" with her.  They began by teasing her with her many failures, which they had been witness to.  Then, they mocked her protests to their teasing, enjoying every moment of little Katharine's torment.  And then Thomas attacked her weakness, a worn rag-doll dragon by the name of Lockheed.  Thomas at some point had slipped away to Katharine's bedchamber and found the stuffed creature resting on her bed.  He took it and brought it to the attention of his cohorts.  Now her torment escalated to the level of the Spanish Inquisition.  The cruel elder cousins taunted little Katharine by denying her the comforting presence of her stuffed companion.  This unbearable torture, combined with the stressful events of the day, was too much for the eight-year-old girl-child to bear.  She fled the scene in tears, chased by the cruel laughter of her teen-aged male cousins.

            So now little Katharine was running down the halls of her grandfather's mansion, nearly blinded by her tears.  Today was supposed to be a good day, a happy day, full of food, family, and good cheer.  But no, today had transformed into a living nightmare, and, like all nightmares, it would only get worse.  This day was in a downward spiral, and the hope that it would improve in any way was non-existent.  Little Katharine was so wrapped up in her thoughts and tears that she didn't see what was directly in her path.

            There was a soft thud as Katharine collided with some boy who had been standing in the middle of the corridor, looking out of a window.  He couldn't have been much older than she was, and since he hadn't seen her coming, was caught by surprise.  They both ended up on the cold, stone floor in a tangled heap, Katharine still sobbing.  She didn't know who she had run into, and was far beyond caring.  It was when the boy said something to her that she looked up, confused.  Little Katharine hadn't understood a word the boy had said to her.  It was then that she realized that she didn't know who the boy was; she'd never seen him before in all her eight years of life.

            He was small, not much taller than she was, and somewhat scrawny looking.  He had jet black hair, dark brown eyes, and a strangely pale complexion.  And as Katharine studied the strange boy, she realized that she was sprawled awkwardly on top of him and he wasn't happy about it.  She hastily scrambled off of him with a whispered; her eyes fell to the floor and stayed there.  Little Katharine slowly stood, straightening her dress, sniffling, eyes never leaving the one section of stone flooring.  She softly apologized a second time, curtsied, and turned to leave, but was stopped by a small hand gripping her shoulder.

            The mystery boy slowly turned the frozen Katharine to face him and used his other to gently force her chin up so he could look into her bright blue eyes.  When their gazes locked Katharine felt paralyzed.  His brown eyes were unusually intense and expressive and the stare he gave her was unnerving.  After a long moment he said something to her, in thickly accented English this time, instead of whatever strange language he had spoken before.  It took a minute for her to understand what he just said.  He wanted to know why she was crying.  Little Katharine simply told him that she had a bad day, once more apologized for her actions, and fled from the strange boy's presence before he could ask anymore questions.  She left the poor boy alone and confused in the empty corridor and sought the safety and solitude of her room.  It was later that she learned the boy's identity, and it seemed that she would be seeing more of him in the near future.

~ ~ ~

            Kitty was jolted from her reminiscing by a jubilant shout.  She looked up to see what was cause for such a cry, and was met with the sight of the approaching French coastline.  It seemed that Bobby had had enough of sea-travel and was ready to return to shore and still ground.  But it would be half an hour at least till they docked and there was much to be done before then.  Shadowcat rose from her seat and headed below-decks to inform Piotr of this new development, avoiding the still sea-sick Iceman as she went.

            _Why did I remember that of all things?  She wondered.  She hadn't thought of home for years now, not since she left.  And she hadn't thought of _him _either.  Not until today, maybe that meant something and maybe it didn't.  But now was not the time to think of such things, she had more important items to worry about.  Like making sure the supplies, horses, and people got off the boat safely.  And how were they going to get through to Paris in one piece without "losing" anything.  And, most importantly of all, accomplishing their task successfully and as soon as possible.  No time left for thinking about _him_, none at all._


	7. On the Road to Paris

***Chapter 6***

**~On the Road to ****Paris****~**

            The day began with rain; a cold, constant drizzle that seemed to suck the life out of the damp French countryside.  The sky was a dark grey, the sun was blocked from the sky, and it wouldn't clear anytime soon.  There was no lightning or thunder though, but that was little consolation to those who had to travel through this late April rain.  The poor roads of this region were made even worse by the unending rain, turning some section into small, muddy streams.

            The rain did nothing to improve Kitty's mood, not one bit.  The weather had been wonderful when they had arrived in the coastal city of le Harve.  They had disembarked without a problem and they had found an innkeeper who spoke some English.  The group had stayed a few days enjoying the city and preparing to set off for their first goal, Paris.  From Paris, they planned to make their way to the Germanic States unless they learned differently.  Lord Xavier had only been able to narrow their search to the area around Paris and several regions in Germania so they would start with what was closest.  When they left le Harve for Paris, however, the good weather abruptly ended and the rain began.

            Now here they were, trekking towards Rouen, their next stop before Paris.  If Paris came up empty, the plan was to travel to Reims, then Metz, and finally end up in Saarbrücken.  In Saarbrücken they could begin their search of the Germanic States for the Destiny Scrolls.  But that was far in the future at this point, right now Kitty preferred to think up every curse she had ever heard and apply it to the weather.  But at least the rain was distracting her from other, less pleasant thoughts.  She had not thought any further on what she had remembered on the boat and the rain so far had helped keep her from doing so.

            Shadowcat re-adjusted her hooded travel cloak and glanced around at her companions.  At the head of the line was, of course, Logan on his mud brown gelding named simply Horse.  The feral man's black cloak was pulled tightly closed to shield him from the cold drizzle.  A length behind him rode Jean on her yellowish mare, Goldenrod.  Between Jean and Kitty rode Bobby on his white-gray gelding that he named Blizzard.  And behind Kitty, at the end of their line, rode Piotr on his steel gray gelding.  The Russian named the massive beast Ironheart for its strength and steady nature.

            Kitty absently patted the neck of her gray-black mare, Phantom.  The horse was special to her in that it was the first friend of sorts that she had at the mansion.  When she had first come to that place she was a frightened and rather shy girl who said little.  This horse had also only recently arrived and was still quite wild; the mare refused any who approached her.  But Kitty had somehow made a special connection with this horse; she could approach the wild horse without a problem.  She named and tamed the beast and this helped build her confidence back up.  Without this horse she might still be a shy little girl who slipped through walls to avoid new people.  But Phantom made all the difference; she would never leave her mistress, unlike some people.

            Again memories began to trickle through her mind, but these were not as harmless as what she had remembered on the ship voyage.  These were more painful, dark memories, things she tried to forget with all her might.  Memories of times when she had been hurt, both physically and emotionally, and when she had been abandoned by everyone who mattered to her slid through her consciousness.  Her family had left her when her Curse was known as well as her friends.  Then _he left, the only person who had stayed with her, kept her alive, kept her sane.  Kitty couldn't even think of his name anymore or she would cry and she had given up on crying a long time ago.  She forcibly shook the offending dark thoughts from her mind, she had no time for them, it would only distract her and she couldn't afford that._

            "Why didn't Ororo come with us?"  Bobby whined, fully breaking Kitty from her reverie.  "She could do something about this rain for us."

            "Why don't you do something about it Bobby?"  Kitty teasingly asked.  "You can affect the weather a bit can't you?"

            "Do you really want me to do that?  I can only make it colder; it may even snow a bit if I tried anything."  Bobby complained.

            "Then stop whining about it already.  There's nothing we can do about it so live with it."  Kitty snapped, her patience fraying at his childish whining.

            //_That wasn't very nice Kitty.//  Jean mentally scolded.  //_You didn't have to snap at him like that.  You two were getting along so well while we were in le Harve too.  I know this rain is terrible, but that is no excuse.  Is something else bothering you?_//  Jean wondered._

            //_I know I shouldn't have.//  Kitty reluctantly admitted.  //_But I haven't been in the best of moods for awhile.  And I haven't been thinking pleasant thoughts either.  Sometimes I wish that Lord Xavier would help me forget most of my life before I met you all.  Just about all my memories are in some way painful._//_

            //_What do you mean by 'in some way painful'?//  Jean asked._

            //_Well, some memories were good ones, but they became painful to me when my Curse came to be.  Then it hurt because I would never have what I remembered again.  The rest were just bad to begin with.//  Kitty explained._

            //_Oh, I think I can understand that.  Do you have any memories of your past that aren't sad or painful?//  Jean asked, curious as to what the answer would be.  Kitty was mentally silent for a moment before she replied._

            //_Actually, no, not really.  Some aren't as bad, but none are good.//  When Jean received this she detected a sense of sadness from the younger girl.  Her whole past was a shadowy mass of pain for her, and it didn't have to be.  Jean knew as much as Lord Xavier did about here, which wasn't much at all.  If only Kitty would open up to them maybe they could help her or understand her better, but Kitty was still closed on the subject and no one would force her._

            //_Do you feel up to telling me something that isn't that bad?//  Jean tentatively asked.  Again, Shadowcat was silent as Jean hoped that the girl would say yes._

            //_Well, my 12th birthday wasn't too bad.//  Kitty admitted._

            //_That sounds interesting, can you tell me about that?//  Jean inquired._

            //_For one, the weather on my birthday is, as you know, usually like it is today, rainy.  But this time it was a beautiful October day, not a cloud in the sky and it was unusually warm too.  My favorite meals were prepared, since it was my birthday and all, and everyone was in good spirits.  The relatives that did come to my party were the nice ones; the mean ones didn't come that year which made it even better.  I received some nice gifts like books and a few nice dresses, nothing I didn't need or want.  It was the birthday of my dreams essentially.  Then my favorite part of my birthday came.  No matter how bad the first part of my party was this part always made up for it somehow.//  Kitty paused for a moment, Jean could sense the happiness behind it._

            //_What part is that Kitty?//  Jean prompted, wondering what could make Shadowcat so happy._

            //_After dinner and gifts there is always dancing.  My parents would bring in a small orchestra, smaller than what would be at a ball but enough for the people who were there.  And we would all dance as long as we were able, that night I almost made it till sunrise.  I'm always happiest when I dance, it's my favorite thing in the whole world to do, it never fails to cheer me up.  I danced with my father and all my favorite male cousins; I even danced with a few servants who knew how._

_Kurt even danced with me.  He almost never dances, he just watches everyone else dance instead.  When I ask him why he would always say that he hates to dance, that he's no good at it, but that's not true at all.  He was the best dancer I knew, I always liked dancing with him.  But this time he surprised me, usually my mother has to force him to dance, this time he asked me all on his own.  I asked why and he told me that today was my birthday and that it was something of an honor to dance with the birthday girl.  When the song ended he left, he said that he would let others have a chance at the honor, but I think he was just avoiding another dance.  But all in all it was a great night.  Too bad I'll never have a birthday like that one again._//  

When Kitty spoke of this Kurt person there was a conflicting surge of emotion.  There was a strange feeling of deep affection for this person, and yet there was also a feeling of deep sadness, pain, loneliness.  What on earth could cause such emotions in her young friend, and who was this person she spoke of.  Why had such feelings appeared when she mentioned his name?  Jean ached to know more but she feared that if she pushed too hard Kitty might close up again or be hurt.

//_That sounds like a wonderful party, wish I had been there to see it.  But,//  Jean paused, wondering if she dared ask._

//_But what Jean?//  Kitty asked._

//_Forgive me if this question is to personal, but why did you feel that way when you told me about this Kurt person?//  Jean asked nervously, she really wanted to know the answer to this.  For several minutes there was a silence between them and tension began to build.  Only the two of them felt it, however, as the whole conversation was mind-to-mind, their traveling companions were completely unaware of it._

//_I really don't want to answer that.  I will only say that he was someone important to me and he left me like all the others.  I find it kind of amusing that he is the only person that I truly miss.  I may miss the way my life used to be, but I don't miss any of the people except for him.//  Kitty explained.  Her pain increased as she admitted this tiny bit of information to her older friend._

//_Kitty, I'm sorry that I asked.  I shouldn't have, it's none of my business.//  Jean apologized._

//_It's okay Jean.  Maybe the only reason I miss him is that he was different from all the rest.  But, even so, he still left me in the end.  If he had stayed my life might just have been bearable enough for me to stay home.  Or maybe I could have brought him with me when I came to the mansion.  But he's gone now so that will never happen.//  Kitty said.  The last part was nearly a mental whisper, her anguish seemed to spike when she said it, but it subsided after a moment.  Jean was even more interested in this Kurt person now than ever before.  She said he was different, that he was the only person she truly missed from her former life.  Remembering him had caused joy but also a great deal of pain, he must have truly been someone to make such an impression on the Shadowcat.  But Jean dared not press further lest she cause Kitty more pain; she'd already done quite enough for today._

The line of five horses and their riders continued on without pause through the rain.  No one among them had spoken aloud since Bobby had complained of the weather and it did not look as if any more conversation would be made for awhile longer.  The soaked horses trundled along the muddy road at a slow, steady pace, it would be a few more hours before it would be time to stop and make camp.  No one was looking forward to doing that is this awful weather but no one wished to keep riding either.  All their eyes were fixed on the path ahead so no one noticed what might have been a tear roll down Katharine's face.  If anyone asked she would have claimed it was a raindrop.


	8. Campfire Stories

***Chapter 7***

**~Campfire Stories~**

            A few hours later, a miracle, the rain finally stopped just as the group decided to make camp.  Several yards from the "road" they found a clearing within a small grove of elm trees that would suit their purpose perfectly.  Piotr and Bobby tied up and cared for the horses while Kitty and Jean set up the camp and Logan tried to start a fire.  "Tried" was the key word here as the rain had soaked all the wood in the area.  But Logan is a stubborn creature and with a lot of effort, time, and a generous amount of swearing he somehow managed the impossible.  By the time the fire was lit the others had completed their tasks and all settled around the now cheery fire to eat their supper.  

            The meal consisted of dried fruit, smoked meat, and biscuits to eat and water to drink.  It wasn't much, but after a long day of riding through the rain with few breaks it was just fine.  Once they had each eaten their fill, the members of the group turned their attention to the crackling, popping campfire. All seemed mesmerized by the fire as they sat around it, watching it burn.  No one spoke, as if they feared speaking might somehow break the peace that had settled over the clearing.  But such things never last and the quiet was broken.

            "Does anybody know any good campfire stories?"  Bobby asked.  For several minutes there was silence, no one volunteered anything.  Iceman looked at everyone in turn; seeing no one wished to share he took it upon himself to tell a tale.  "Alright then, since no one has one, I'll make one up!  So what kind of story do you want to hear?"  He asked.  Jean saw he was serious about telling a story and decided it was best to humor him.

            "How about you tell a story that has a dragon in it?"  Jean suggested.

            "Excellent!" Bobby exclaimed.  He was then silent for several minutes as he pondered the tale he would tell.  Iceman then straightened, took a deep breath, and launched into his story.

- - -

            Long, long ago there were no men.  The forests, plains, mountains, and lakes were populated only by animals.  But the land was not without a ruler, instead of man, dragons ruled over all.  One clan ruled the forest; another ruled the plains, another, the mountains, and another, the lakes.  They lived together in an uneasy peace, each wary of the other.  Times of peace were rare and short-lived between the clans; fighting of some kind was the norm.  The goal of all the clans was complete domination of all the realms, but all were cautious not to lose what they already held.  This is the way things always were and always would be.

            One day, a young drake of the fiery mountain clan decided to go exploring.  He had heard many a strange and exciting tale of the world beyond the territory he knew.  Fire-Scale, as he was called, decided to fly to the south and see what there was to see.  After several days of flying, the mountains melted to foothills to flat, vast plains.  The fire-red drake soon tired and landed near a stream to drink.  The air here was thicker than he was used to and the sun was warmer, this caused him to become drowsy and he slid into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile, a dragoness of the golden plains clan set off to her favorite spot, a stream within sight of the mysterious mountain realm.  The mountains had always fascinated Golden-Sun, she always wondered if any of the stories about that place were true.  But she would never know, she was of the plains and there she would remain.  She swooped low, gracefully landing a short distance from the stream, and then walked the remaining distance to her destination.  When she arrived, she was shocked to find another dragon there, a fiery colored drake.

            He was very strange, she noticed, his wings appeared larger than her own, his neck and tail seemed oddly elongated, and his chest was larger and deeper than was normal.  Who on earth was he?  No dragon of the plains clan looked this way, or was this color.  The only explanation was that he was of another clan.  But how could that be?  Dragons of different clans only leave their territories to attend special meetings or fight in battles, and they only do so in large groups.  So why was he here, all alone?  She let out a hiss, stalked up to him, and attacked.

            Fire-Scale never knew what hit him.  One moment he was in the middle of a wondrous dream, the next a vicious golden dragoness had him pinned in the middle of the stream he had recently drunk of.  He let out a snarl of surprise and fury, how had he, the great Fire-Scale, been caught un-awares by a female?

            "Get off me!"  He roared.  The dragoness looked at him confused, as if she did not fully understand what he said to her.  He growled, and tried again, this time in formal Dranconis.  "Get off I said!"

            "Why should I?"  Golden-Sun hissed.

            They argued for many hours until Fire-Scale convinced her to release him.  He explained to her why he was here, and while she wasn't sure if she should believe, she let him leave.  Fire-Scale returned several times to visit with Golden-Sun; both were wary of each other but also extremely curious.  After a time, they came to trust each other to a degree.

One day Golden-Sun requested something of Fire-Scale, she had hidden his existence from the rest of her clan for a long time now, allowing him a chance to explore her realm.  Now could it be possible to visit his homeland at least once.  Fire-Scale took a long time to consider things before he agreed.  They took off together and headed towards the mountain realm.  As they flew farther and higher Golden-Sun grew tired, cold, and short of breath.  Fire-Scale was afraid something like this would happen; she was used to the thick, warm air of the plains, not the thin, cold air of the mountains.  This forced them to rest often in valleys, wasting valuable time.  Golden-Sun, nevertheless, was impressed by what she did see, and gratefully thanked Fire-Scale for it.

During this journey and through their earlier meetings the two had grown closer to each other.  On the return trip to the plains they ran into trouble with a group of patrolling mountain clan dragons.  The patrol cruelly attacked Golden-Sun.  This enraged Fire-Scale and he dove into the fray, attacking his clan-mates to save his friend.  The two fled from the mountains to the plains, seeking refuge.

They had even less luck there.  The plains clan dragons refused Fire-Scale's plea for sanctuary and exiled Golden-Sun for hiding Fire-Scale from them.  The two young dragons were now clan-less and exiled, they drifted along the borders of clan lands for years.  When they were fully grown, they became mates and had many strange adventures in all the realms, making many friends and enemies as they went.  The two became legends in their own lifetimes and eventually helped form a lasting peace between all the realms of the dragon race.  But it would not last, for man had appeared.  Barely a few generations later man and dragon were locked in a conflict that lasted one thousand years.  In the end the dragons were all slain and men inherited the earth.  And the story of Fire-Scale and Golden-Sun was seemingly lost for all time.

- - -

The fire had burned down to embers by the time Bobby finished his tale.  The others sat in awe of such a unique and interesting story, they had a hard time believing that it was Bobby who had come up with such a story.  Iceman took a sip from his water pouch and yawned, betraying his exhaustion. 

"So how did I do?"  Robert Drake asked.

"That was surprisingly very good Bobby.  If you told stories like that to Nathan maybe you would get along better with him."  Jean replied.

"You really think so?  I didn't think it was much good, there wasn't much detail to it or anything."  Iceman said, rather humbly.

"No it was very good Bobby.  So what if it was lacking a bit in details.  If you put in more details it would take a month to tell.  It's fine the way it is, I really liked it."  Kitty admitted.

"Really?  You really think so?  Well, thanks, thanks a lot!"  Bobby said.  He was now grinning so broadly Kitty was afraid he'd break his face or something.  Inwardly Kitty groaned, she'd encouraged him again, now he'd annoy her even more.  But what she said was true, his story was great, maybe someday he'd put in all those details and write it down in a book.  If he ever did she'd want a copy.  Katharine had never heard dragons portrayed that way before, it was different and intriguing.  It reminded her of her old stuffed toy, Lockheed the dragon, who she had left her chest back at the mansion.

As she settled into her warm wool blanket for the night, her mind was filled with dragons in flight.  She didn't need to count sheep this night; dragons would do just fine tonight.  She heard the sounds of her companions as they settled down for the night.  Logan leaned against a tree, ever vigilant against intruders, even in sleep.  Jean took a spot close to the dying fire, seeking what little warmth remained.  Bobby chose a spot between where Kitty slept near a tree and where Piotr rested up against a large rock.  As they all slipped into the blackness of sleep Kitty wondered what this night's dreams would bring.


	9. Dreams

***Chapter 8***

**~Dreams~**

            Dreams are curious things.  There are the waking dreams, the conscious goals and desires of men.  Humans strive for these, sometimes all their lives, and are not guaranteed to ever realized them.  Then there are the dreams of sleep, unconscious desires and wishes of people reside in these.  Some are meaningless jumbles of images, others are terrifying possibilities, and yet others are pleasant.  The meaningless may be amusing or confusing to the dreamer, a mix of fantasy and reality.  The nightmares are always frightening as the sleeper is trapped within what they believe is reality or a terrifying memory of the past.  The pleasant kind can be many things, they may be fantasies or much loved memories, but one thing is certain no one wishes to wake from them.  And sometimes there is an ambiguous dream; it is neither amusing, nor terrifying, nor pleasant.  It is all of these things and yet none of them at the same time.  And this night Katharine Pryde had such a dream.

            Katharine found herself in some sort of castle or large stone building; it was hard to tell as everything had a fuzzy quality to it.  She wandered aimlessly as if searching for something but not knowing what it was or were it was.  There were no people anywhere, no animals, and no sound save her own foot steps.  She wandered through various corridors, chambers, and courtyards, never finding any sort of exit to this strange place.  All the windows she looked through were either blocked or full of a pure white light.  She felt as if she were in a maze and was completely lost.  Shadowcat tried to phase through some of the walls but found that she strangely couldn't.  Panic began to set in and Kitty ran as fast as she could in one random direction after another.  After what seemed like ages she tripped and fell, she curled into a ball out of breath and close to tears.  Then, for some reason, she looked up to see a floating sphere of light.  Kitty felt compelled to touch it and, as her fingertips brushed its surface, a feeling of detachment swept over her and her vision faded into white.

~ ~ ~

            Little Katharine's head hurt, a lot.  It was a dull throb that pulsed just behind her eyes that spiked painfully whenever she heard a loud sound.  Her whole body ached when she moved, even when she breathed.  At times she was burning hot and at other times she was freezing cold.  She felt faint and, if she wasn't careful, the room would start to spin, forcing her to lean against the wall till it passed.  In short, she felt terrible, the worst she could ever remember feeling in all her twelve years of life.  But she had no time to be sick, today was her mother's birthday.

            She suppressed a groan as she trudged over to help her cousin, Jane, set the table.  Was it her imagination or did the dishes weigh a ton all of a sudden?  Jane yelled at her to pick up the pace, they had less than an hour till her mother would return.  Mistress Pryde had asked they not throw her a party this year, so her family decided to do it anyway and make it a surprise.  So now Master Pryde was out with his wife at a play, giving everyone time to prepare the surprise party.  But time was running short and there was still much left to do.  Katharine pushed herself on, the sooner she finished the sooner she could rest.  So she obediently picked up the pace, pushing herself to keep going.

            After setting the table and working in the kitchens for an hour everything was set and her mother would arrive soon.  And Katharine felt worse than ever.  Her head felt as if it was going to explode, the room wouldn't stop spinning, and now her throat hurt as well.  As she carried a basket of flowers to her Aunt Agatha the feeling of faintness sharply increased and her vision began to blur.  Her legs suddenly refused to support her weight and she sunk to the floor, her vision melted to black.

***

            When little Katharine regained her senses she found herself lying in her bed with a damp cloth pressed against her forehead.  Her mother sat by her side holding a cup of water looking quite concerned.

            "Kitten, whatever possessed you to do all you did when you are this sick?"  Mistress Pryde asked in a soft whisper.

            "Today's your birthday Mommy.  I wanted it to be special, I wanted to help."  Katharine rasped miserably.

            "That's a nice thought Sweetie, but you are too sick to be doing things like that.  I know what it's like to be sick and I would have understood if you didn't help.  Everyone would have, you didn't have to do anything."  Her mother assured.

            "But what about your birthday?"  Katharine asked.

            "Don't worry about it; just concentrate on getting well for me okay?"  Mistress Pryde replied.

            "Okay, I promise."  Katharine said reluctantly.

            "Good, now get some rest.  Auntie Grace will check on you each hour to see if you need anything.  I'll check up on you before bed, alright Kitten?"  Her mother stood to leave, kissing Katharine's fevered forehead before moving to the door.

            "Happy Birthday Mommy!"  Katharine hoarsely called.

            "Thank you very much Kitten, now get your rest."  Mistress Pryde said over her shoulder as she walked out the door.

            Little Katharine settled back on her pillow miserable as can be, not only was she horribly ill, she was also missing her mother's birthday party.  Her only company was Lockheed and Auntie Grace which meant she was very lonely.  Auntie Grace wasn't so bad, she was actually an adult cousin, but Grace had a bad habit of forgetting things when she was having a good time.  The first two hours Auntie Grace remembered, she even brought some juice with her the second time.  But after that the party must have gotten good because she didn't come.  This left Katharine all alone for several hours with nothing to do and no one to talk to.  Little Katharine tried to pass the time by playing with Lockheed or napping, but it wasn't enough.  After nearly three hours she was about to try and get up to go down-stairs, at least she could watch everyone have fun.  But before she could move her door opened.  Katharine was prepared to yell at her Auntie Grace only to find that it was someone else.  Kurt Wagner ever so timidly crept into the dimly lit room as if he feared waking her.

            "You don't have to creep around like that, I'm awake."  She croaked.  Kurt jumped guiltily before he moved to her bedside and nervously presented her with a small piece of cake.

            "I brought you some cake."  He mumbled.

            "Thank you I suppose."  Katharine sighed.  She propped herself up and tasted the sugary confection.  It was a sweet white cake topped with fresh strawberries, her mother's favorite.  "Have I missed anything interesting?"  She asked quietly.

            "Axel said something to _Fräulein _Grace and she slapped him."  Kurt offered.

            "Really?  What else happened?"  She asked, leaning forward with interest.

            Kurt hesitated for a moment before he perched himself on the edge of her bed and recounting anything that was remotely interesting or amusing.  He spent nearly on hour telling her the events that she had missed, sometimes asking her a few questions of his own.  Near the end she became drowsy, finding it difficult to remain focused on what he was saying.  Eventually she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the party she missed as Kurt tucked her in and made his escape.

~ ~ ~

            The blinding light receded and Kitty found herself back in the fuzzy stone building.  The globe of light buzzed around her head for a moment then zipped through a window.  Shadowcat scrambled up to see where the light sphere had gone to.  As she peered out the window she saw it fly past a dark silhouette that was perched on a high stone wall.  The shadowy, indistinct figure slowly turned towards her, its golden eyes searching.  Then, without warning, there was a flash of light and the shadowy creature was gone.

            A shiver raced down her spine at the sight.  What was that thing?  What was it looking for?  And where the heck was she?  Shadowcat wandered away from the window and down the hall.  She came to a room with a bed and found she felt very tired all of a sudden.  She gave into the urge and climbed on, swiftly sinking into a black, dreamless sleep once more.  When she woke that morning she would not remember all of her dream, she would forget the mysterious shadow and misty castle for a time, remembering only the memory of her mother's birthday party.  And she would wonder why she had dreamed such a thing in the first place, why?


	10. Are We There Yet?

***Chapter 9***

**~Are We There Yet?~**

            "Are we there yet?"  Bobby whined.  The group had left Rouen a week ago and had still not arrived in Paris.  Everyone was in a sour mood and Iceman's near constant complaining was not helping matters.

            "Icicle, if you don't shut up right now I will gut you!  Ya hear me!"  Logan snarled threateningly.  "We'll get there when we get there and not a minute sooner.  Whining won't get us there any faster."

            Bobby immediately fell silent as he was quite happy to keep his guts where they were.  It's not like he'd helped out much yet.  In fact, he'd caused the band nothing but trouble so far.  He, Robert Drake, had single-handedly managed to get them thrown out of every tavern they had stopped at.  He even screwed up so bad one time they were driven out of the village itself, forcing them to camp out that night.  Needless to say, his companions were not pleased with him.  Bobby was actually surprised that they hadn't killed him yet.  Not that all of the trouble was entirely his fault.

            Most of the taverns they'd been thrown out of was because someone else started a fight with him.  So what if he was staggering drunk at the time, it wasn't his fault that the all the French men were out to pick a fight with him.  And the time they were thrown out of the village, that wasn't his fault at all.  How was he supposed to know that the girl he'd run into was the mayor's daughter?  So he couldn't be blamed for flirting with her.  And it wasn't his fault that he had inadvertently insulted her father, he couldn't speak French.  And who knew that the mayor was so touchy about whatever it was he said.  At least the weather had been nice that night.

            Bobby looked away from the muddy, rutted 'road' and focused his attention on someone else, Katharine Pryde.  He found her far more intriguing than the monotonous view around him.  Today she was riding in front of him so all he could see was the back of her head, but that was fine with him, this way she wouldn't see him staring at her.  Now he was free to admire her without fear of discovery!  Bobby slipped into a state somewhere between reality and daydreams as he let his mind wander.

            He remembered when he first came to Lord Xavier's mansion, a nervous little boy who had no idea what was happening to him.  His powers hadn't fully emerged at the time, he had only been able to make the air colder and a little bit of slushy snow.  When he had first seen his new home he'd worked himself into a panic and nearly fainted.  He, a little nobody, was going to live in a place like that?  He was just the son of a carpenter from a little village near Liverpool.  What strange twist of fate had led him to this place?  

            Bobby had been wandering around the halls like a small lost child when he had bumped into her.  The instant he saw he was smitten.  She was the most beautiful girl he had ever met in his life.  She had incredibly bright blue eyes and long, silky looking brown hair.  And when she apologized for bumping into him, he fell in love with her sweet, clear voice.  From that moment on she was the light of his life, the sun which his whole existence revolved around.  She, unfortunately, did not see things this way, at least not yet.  Bobby would somehow win her heart; he wouldn't rest until he did.

***

            Kitty glanced back at Bobby, cringing when she saw the dreamy expression on his face.  She hated it when he did that.  He'd given her that look ever since they first met two years previous.  She didn't know how she'd managed to keep from killing him for so long.  Ever since they bumped into each other in the hall his first day he had been after her.  No matter what she had said or done to him he refused to give up.  What did she have to do to make him see that she wasn't interested in him that way and never would be?  She even asked him once what she had to do to make him leave alone.  He told her that there was nothing on earth that could discourage him.  Well there was, but she wasn't quite desperate enough to tell him that yet, she was getting there though.

            //_How are you holding up?//  Jean telepathically asked.  Shadowcat jumped, startled by Jean's sudden question._

            //_Fine I guess.  How about you?//  Kitty replied._

            //_As good as can be expected.  Do you think we'll get to __Paris__ today?//  Jean wondered._

            //_I hope so.  I don't think Bobby can last much longer.//  Kitty stated._

            //_Is it just me or are you worried about Bobby's well-being?//  Jean prodded._

            //_No, not really, but I have no desire to see his internal organs.  Do you?//  Shadowcat countered._

            //_No I don't.//  Jean admitted._

            //_But I will admit that I'd miss his stories.  That's the only thing he seems good for.  That, and annoying the heck out of _me._//  Kitty said._

            //_Yes, his stories are really something.  And to think that he makes them all up off the top of his head.//  Jean marveled._

            //_It certainly is a talent.  But he also has a talent for getting into trouble.//  Kitty pointed out._

            //_True, very true, that is one of his biggest flaws to be sure.  But deep down he's still a great __guy.//  Jean replied._

            //_I know he is.  And if he would stop trying to court me then I would like a good deal better than I do now.//  Kitty returned._

            //_Why don't you let him court you?//  Jean asked._

            //_Because, as I said before, I have no interest of the romantic sort in him at all.  Courting someone implies that you like them in that way and I don't.  I refuse to court him because it would give everyone the incorrect impression of my feelings.  It would be a lie and only hurt him worse in the end.  And there is nothing anyone can do to change my mind so stop trying.//  Kitty said, her mental tone held an edge to it that made Jean flinch._

            //_Alright, I won't bring it up anymore.//  Jean said in surrender.  //_So what do you want to talk about instead?_//_

            //_Tell me how you met Scott.//  Kitty replied after a moment of thought._

            //_Well, when I was fourteen I visited my grandfather in __Ireland__ during the autumn.  One day, after a particularly bad storm, I was walking along the beach with my sister and I found him washed up on shore like a piece of driftwood.  We brought him back to the house and took care of him till he was better.  When he first woke up he had mild amnesia that lasted about half a year so for a while we didn't know what to call him.  But when he did remember himself it really got interesting._

_            It turns out that his father was a talented captain in the royal navy and Scott and the rest of his family had been visiting on the ship before the storm.  The storm sank his father's vessel taking all hands, his father included; only Scott survived.  We became close friends and my father took him in, made him the son he never had.  When our Curses emerged my family was frightened, they had trouble understanding it.  We helped each other with learning about our powers and as a result grew closer.  We married, met Lord Xavier, had Nathan, and then met you._//  Jean said, finishing her tale.

            //_Wow.  That's certainly an interesting way to meet a husband.  Too bad he had to lose his family though.//  Kitty thought sadly._

            //_Yes, it is very sad.  But now he has Nathan and me.  And we don't plan on leaving him alone ever again.//  Jean stated._

            //_I never doubted that fact for a moment.//  Kitty replied._

            //_Good.  Why did you ask about Scott and me anyway?//  Jean wondered._

            //_Just curious was all.  I had heard some things back at the mansion and wanted to know for certain.//  Shadowcat answered._

            The two lapsed into silence as the group continued on their way to Paris.  Well they had been silent before since the whole conversation had been a mind-to-mind one.  Now they were silent in the sense that they no longer spoke to one another.  But silence never seems to last long enough and it was soon broken.

            "Are we there yet?"


	11. Paris

***Chapter 10***

**~****Paris****~**

            Bobby was spared from a painful end as, barely a moment after he had finished speaking; the outskirts of Paris came into view.  They came round the bend to see a sudden end to the patchwork of cultivated fields that had surrounded them for the past two days.  The sight that met their eyes looked like all the other French villages; clusters of crude homes that were arranged in no particular order.  The 'streets' were little more than dirt paths that wound aimlessly among the hovels, narrowing and widening, twisting and turning completely at random.  People walked purposefully to their destinations, where ever they were, dodging other people, chickens, pigs, dogs, and cats that were in their way.  Just another French town like all the others the group had visited.

            Yes it looked like the average French settlement until they looked a little further.  Beyond the clusters of huts there were silhouettes of larger, better constructed buildings and the vague outline of what only could be the Notre Dame Cathedral.  This was Paris alright, the French version of London and their first major stop.  Logan allowed them precious little time to admire the view before setting off again heading towards the city center where most of the inns were located.  After they found rooms the plan was to seek out an ally of Lord Xavier's and look into any rumors concerning their target.  The plan was to spend a month at the most searching for the Scrolls, and then, unless they had a good reason to, they would leave for the Germanic States to look there.

            As the group wound their way through the narrow, twisted streets of Paris Bobby began babbling something about French girls, various alcoholic beverages, and the Notre Dame Cathedral.  Whatever it was that he was talking about no one else wanted to hear it so Kitty wasn't the only one to ignore him, everyone else did too.  Instead they all focused on their surroundings, pondering their own private thoughts.  Kitty turned from studying the twisted street to study her companions, amusing herself by guessing at their thoughts.

            Shadowcat first turned her attention on Logan.  He was the same as always, brooding silently, his face frozen in a grim mask of suspicion.  Wolverine looked straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, but Kitty knew better.  Despite his apparent inattention he was perfectly aware of what was going on around him.  Right now he was probably deciding how much of a threat each person they passed was.  He also was most likely devoting a small corner of his mind to wonder about their mission and ways to complete it as quickly as possible.  Only when they had stopped for the night would he think of much else beyond that.

            Kitty smiled faintly as she shifted her focus from Logan to Jean.  Jean looked like Kitty felt, tired and bored.  Tired from all the traveling and bored from the monotony of the traveling.  Perhaps she was thinking of her son and family back home, that would explain her faint smile.  Or maybe she was remembering a pleasant memory of her childhood.  Or maybe it was something else all together.  Shadowcat had no real way to tell as she was no psychic like Jean.  She could be thinking all matter of pleasant thoughts and Kitty had no sure way of knowing what those thoughts were.  But oh well, there was nothing she could do about that.  Kitty was perfectly content with her powers; she had no desire to have any others.  To be able to move things without touching them and read minds did sound interesting, but Kitty knew that no Curse was perfect, everything has a downside to it.

            Katharine once again shifted her attention to another, skipping over Bobby who was still talking about something and looking toward Piotr.  Piotr Nikolievitch Rasputin, he was the lost and Cursed Russian solider who feared deep water and loved the poetic arts.  When he was old enough he joined the Czar's army seeking excitement and adventure in distant lands.  During a fierce winter storm Piotr became separated from his comrades and wandered into Poland.  Not long after his Curse became active, turning him into a massive metallic golem with near unlimited strength.  This frightened the Polish people he encountered and he was driven further and further from home.  After nearly two years of wandering he stumbled across a friend of Lord Xavier's, Eric North.  He helped the young lost Russian learn some Basic English and arranged for him to travel to England to join Lord Xavier's household.  From the day Piotr arrived at the mansion he was a willing servant, guard, and friend to the aging psychic and exhibited no desire to return to his family or country.  This puzzled Kitty, whenever she had asked about his home and family he always spoke fondly of it, so why he decided against returning was a mystery.  At the moment Piotr's face was expressionless, this lead Kitty to think he was either remembering something or he was just as bored as she.

            Katharine shook her head free of stray thoughts lest they distract her, she had to be more alert for they were entering a marketplace crowded with all manner of people.  The market was like any other back home, full of both men and women seeking a good deal for the things they needed.  The open space was lined with stalls offering everything from food and drink to cloth and jewelry.  Busy marketplaces like these were also a haven for petty thieves and pick-pockets which was why she needed to be alert, Kitty had no desire to be stripped of her coins this day.  She tried not to growl out loud when she noticed that Bobby was _still _talking about everything and nothing, not the least bit concerned about the people that milled around his horse.

            "Bobby will you please stop your incessant babbling and pay attention?"  Kitty snapped.

            "But Kitty I'm not babbling.  Weren't you listening at all?  I was wondering if they have decent wine here."  Bobby replied, looking a bit hurt that Kitty hadn't been listening to him.

            "Of course they have good wine here!  They practically invented wine!"  Kitty snapped, shaking her head at his idiocy.  "We are still in France, you know this right?"

            "Oh, well you didn't have to be so mean about it."  Bobby replied defensively.  "Do you think the taverns will be the same?"

            "Yes Bobby the taverns will be like all the other taverns we've been to in France.  Paris is the capital city of France, not some other kingdom; it will be the same as everything else here."  Kitty replied, greatly exasperated and annoyed by Bobby's idiotic questions.

            "Oh, alright, I understand."  Iceman replied.  He paused looking rather thoughtful for a long moment.  "Do they have good pastries here?"

            "Bobby."  Kitty grated.  Iceman cringed at her dangerous tone, waiting till they reached the edge of the marketplace before replying.

            "Yes."  He squeaked meekly.

            "Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many stupid questions?"  She growled.

            "Um, yes."  Iceman reluctantly admitted.

            "I thought so.  Why don't you do us all a big favor and stop doing that alright?"  She asked.  Her tone held a threatening edge that made Bobby shiver.

            "Uh, sure, I'll try and stop."  He mumbled, sliding lower in his saddle.

            "Thank you very much."  Kitty responded with strained cheerfulness.  "Your cooperation is much appreciated."

            Bobby slumped lower still, feeling quite dejected.  All he had wanted to do was start a nice conversation with his friends but it seems he'd gone about it the wrong way.  The other three simple shook their heads at the scene, they were glad that Bobby had stopped, but Kitty did not need to be so snappish about it.

            _Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to let Bobby come along after all.  Jean thought to herself, all he'd done was get them in trouble with the locals and aggravate Kitty to no end.  True he could tell a wonderful story to inspire and amuse them after a hard days ride but that all it seemed that he was good for.  And though they all enjoyed his improvised tales it was getting to the point where his story-telling skills were not enough to balance out his other activities.  If he did not learn to behave himself soon she could not guarantee his well-being._

            Jean let out a small sigh as she aimlessly studied the nearby buildings.  She was quite convinced that if Bobby could learn better behavior and Kitty gave him half a chance that they could make a nice couple.  But with the way things were going now the chances of that happening were growing smaller with each passing day.  Maybe she should talk with him, give him some hints to win Kitty over.  Katharine was her friend and Jean hated to see her so lonely with no romance or excitement in her life.  Bobby seemed to be the perfect solution to her friend's lonely, dull life.  Jean was so lost in her plans that she failed to notice a curious pair of eyes that peeked out of a narrow side-street, they seemed strangely interested in her group.

***

            The eyes watched the line of five horses march on down the narrow Paris street leading to the heart of the city.  The owner of the eyes was intrigued by what he saw.  These people seemed to be foreigners, that fact alone sparked his curiosity.  They also were a mixed group, two women and three men; this was definitely a strange band, no doubt about that.  The stranger decided to follow them and see what else he could learn of them.  He put all his skills to use as he trailed the foreign riders, not wishing to be seen.  He darted down narrow alleys to slip slightly ahead of them or behind them to avoid detection.  He followed the mysterious group for several hours until they stopped at a tavern, the Black Fox, which also served as an inn and stable.  

            The stranger had seen enough and slipped away into the crowded streets of Paris.  Perhaps he would come back tomorrow and see what they did.  He wondered what sort of valuables they carried as well as what their business in Paris might be.  If they had anything interesting or rare he would be the one to take it.  This thought pleased him and he smiled slightly.  He was no petty thief or pick-pocket but a member of a guild, the Thieves Guild, if these foreigners had something worth taking it was as good as his.  His strangely demonic eyes glittered in the gathering twilight as he made his way into the darker districts of Paris to meet with his brothers and enjoy some wine.  Yes the next few days would be interesting, he decided, interesting indeed.


	12. Thieves Guild

***Chapter 11***

**~Thieves Guild~**

            The skies above Paris darkened rapidly once the sun fell behind the horizon, the brilliant colors of the sunset swiftly bled away into the blue-gray of early evening.  In the crowded city below most citizens were returning to their homes and families to enjoy some peace before they entered the land of dreams and nightmares.  This was also the time that the criminals, drunks, and other shady characters were most active.  When the normal markets closed the black ones opened and when the sun goes down the underworld Guilds begin their day.

            A shadowed figure made his way from the nicer side of the city to the meaner one.  He moved like a wraith just beyond the weak pools of light cast by lanterns, pulling his long, dark coat against the falling temperature.  He seemed like any ordinary person you might meet on the streets of the city, but he wasn't.  No normal man has red and black eyes; no one has eyes like he does.  He is a thief by the name of Remy LeBeau, but he is no ordinary thief.  He was a member of the Thieves Guild, a master thief known by many as Gambit the Cursed, or just Gambit for short.  To those of the underworld he was a well-known figure; to any ordinary person he was only an anonymous shadow among thousands.  But that didn't bother him; in fact he preferred it that way.  If no one knew who he was then the law wouldn't find him.  He quite enjoyed his hands and had no desire to lose them for his choice of lifestyle.

            Remy made his way down the twisted narrow streets the way only a Paris native could, slipping through alleys and sliding around corners.  He made his way over a stone bridge and entered one of the many red-light districts located in the city.  He moved down the street, ignoring the many taverns and brothels that beckoned to any potential customers that passed by.  Near the end of the dark street Gambit found what he was looking for.  Sandwiched between two large buildings was a small, run-down tavern called the Red Rooster.  The master thief entered and moved to a shadowed corner table and settled down to wait.  It wasn't a long wait.

            Barely ten minutes after Remy had seated himself at the table another regular patron entered and came to join him.  He looked like any other ordinary man; nothing set him apart from the crowded streets of the French city.  But he wasn't ordinary; he was Henri the Swift, another master thief of the Guild like Remy.  His ordinary appearance was the perfect disguise, nothing really made him stand out from the masses that moved through Paris which made him difficult to find.  And as his name suggested he was fast, few could keep up with him let alone catch him.  Henri also happened to be the one who helped Remy enter the Guild in the first place making them closer than brothers in the Guild's eyes.

            As Henri settled into his seat two more regulars entered the Red Rooster.  To most observers the newcomers were a pimp and one of his whores stopping by for a quick break and maybe some spirits.  But Remy and Henri knew better, the 'pimp' was Jean-Claude the Clever and the 'whore' was Alice the Black, both were members of the Guild.  They were a brother and sister team who were especially skilled in gathering information as well as loot.  They could play politicians and merchants for all their money and knowledge without breaking a sweat.  Both found their image as the 'pimp and whore' useful as both kinds of people are not considered intelligent.  In their case that assumption couldn't be further from the truth.

            "[Good evening my friends.]"  Henri greeted.  "[Did we all have good days today?]"  His question was met with nods all around.  "[Good, very good.  Jean-Claude, you wouldn't mind bringing us some wine would you?]"  

            "[Why don't you get it yourself Henri?]"  Jean-Claude growled.  Henri turned and gave a pleading look to the scowling man.

            "[Jean-Claude you know I don't carry my money with me and I know that you do.  Besides you are closer than I am.]"  Henri begged.  The two men entered into a sort of staring contest until Jean-Claude gave in.  He stalked off to the barmaid to purchase to group some cheap wine looking quite irritated; he _always had to buy the wine._

            "[Now down to business.]"  Henri began after Jean-Claude returned with the drinks.  Henri relayed to his companions news from the Guild as well as any interesting rumors he had stumbled across since they last spoke.  Once Henri had finished Remy took his turn sharing information though he left out the part about the probable foreigners he had stumbled upon earlier in the day.  When Gambit had finished Black Alice and Jean-Claude took their turn.  After they had finished Henri closed their business and opened the wine.

            Now that the wine was flowing things between the four thieves began to lighten up.  Jean-Claude began to brag about how he stole all the jewelry off a foolish politician and left the confused man in the slums after promising him a 'real good time with a _real woman'.  Then Alice began teasing her older brother about some silly event of their childhood that Jean-Claude found rather embarrassing.  Henri jumped in the conversation with a story he heard of Serge the Large, a founding member of the Guild.  Alice and Jean-Claude began to complain that this story had nothing to do with what they were talking about but Remy calmed them down, he wanted to hear about this._

            Serge the Large was, as his name suggested, a rather large individual, but his size had no effect on his thieving skills.  He formed powerful and deep friendships with several other highly talented thieves and together they were a force to be reckoned with.  They formed a sort of secret society which over time evolved into the Thieves Guild.  They developed a network that gathered information and sold stolen goods.  By the time Serge and his friends 'retired' the Thieves Guild was a powerful force in the underworld of Paris, but despite this the Guild was nearly invisible to the government.  The only group that had the size and power to challenge the Thieves Guild was a similar organization called the Assassins Guild, and, due to some incidents that few could remember, both groups were constantly at war with one another.  There had been several attempts to form a lasting peace between the two but all had fallen through somehow or other.

            This story about Serge the Large, however, was a somewhat silly one.  It concerned Serge's legendary eating habits and his favorite meal.  One of the other founders, Jean-Sebastian the Short, made a bet with Serge.  He bet Serge that he couldn't steal a set of rare dishes during the mid-summer festival without stopping to sample some of the feast.  Serge accepted the bet and prepared to steal the jewel encrusted dishes from under the nobles' noses as usual.  The night of the feast Serge dressed in his best clothes and crashed the party.  He passed himself off as some duke from a remote region of France and slowly worked his way to the room where the dishes were kept.  The tables of food called out to him but because of the bet he passed on by until he spotted a basket of rich pastries.  He was torn, 'liberate' these sweet pastries from the undeserving nobility and lose the bet, or pass them up and compete his mission.

            For what seemed an eternity he stood indecisive as to what he should do, save the food or leave it?  Then he had a brilliant idea on how to save the pastries and still keep up his part of the bet.  Serge slid off to a side room and shed most of his fancy clothes, revealing servants attire that he wore beneath.  He abandoned the fancy clothes; he could steal more when he needed them, and returned to the party as a common servant.  He grabbed the large basket and continued his way to the treasure.  True a few of the pastries were sacrificed to the noble scum but if he didn't let them take any he would be discovered.  Serge slipped into the treasure room, took the dishes and buried them in the bottom of the basket, and headed back out to the kitchens.  From the kitchens he slipped out through a back hallway and out of the building.

            That night he met with Jean-Sebastian and delivered the expensive plates.  When he learned of what Serge had done he was furious, Jean-Sebastian had been certain that he would win.  But Jean-Sebastian kept his end of the deal and paid for all of Serge's meals for a week.  Needless to say Jean-Sebastian had to do some extra thieving to pay for all of it.  From that day on none of Serge friends ever doubted his word and never made a bet concerning food ever again.

            At the conclusion of Henri's tale both Alice and Jean-Claude broke out in near hysterical and slightly drunken laughter.  Remy smiled and applauded Henri who gave a half bow at the praise.  Once the commotion died down Alice and Jean-Claude began to argue again as siblings tend to do and Henri watched the little show they put on.  Remy appeared to be listening but he really was off in his own little world thinking of other things.  He was mulling over the foreigners he had seen leaving the market and whether or not he should tell Henri about it.

            Sometime around midnight Alice and Jean-Claude excused themselves and drunkenly staggered off the where ever they lived, leaving Remy and Henri alone.  Gambit polished off his last glass of wine and made to leave as well but was stopped at a near invisible signal from Henri.  His friend studied him for a long and tense moment before he spoke.

            "[Alright Remy, something's bothering you, mind telling me what?]"  Henri asked bluntly.

            "[I think I saw some foreigners near the Bread Street market today.]"  Gambit replied.

            "[Why didn't you say something sooner?]"  Henri inquired.

            "[If I said something if front of Alice and Jean-Claude it would be all over the network in a matter of days and everyone would want to know about them, maybe even steal from them.  Since I saw them first I hold priority and I'm very interested in them.]"  Remy answered.

            "[Yes, that's true, they would do that.  Don't worry; I'll keep it to myself as much as I can.  But I'm curious, besides the fact that they are foreigners, why do you find them so interesting?]"  Henri asked.

            "[I'm not quite sure what it is exactly, but something about them is different from everything I've ever seen.  Who knows, they could even be Cursed like me.  Whatever it is about them I want to know what it is.]"  Remy explained

            "[Go ahead then, just be careful alright?]"  Henri warned.

            "[Don't worry yourself about me Henri; I can take care of myself just fine.  And if I find out anything interesting then you'll be the first to know.]"  Gambit said with a smile to his friend and mentor.

            The two men rose simultaneously and left the cozy tavern for their homes.  They parted ways at the door, heading off in different directions.  Henri was almost sober despite the wine and his step was sure and strong as he went off to the Guild headquarters.  Remy made his way to his home a few streets down from the famous Notre Dame cathedral.  As he entered his small room he wondered about those strange foreigners.  Where had they come from?  And what was their business here?  Well he would find out soon enough, tomorrow he'd stake out the Black Fox and see what he could find out.  And with that thought the Cursed master thief drifted off to sleep, haunted by dreams of his past.


	13. Black Fox

***Chapter 12***

**~Black Fox~**

            Things were not going well.  First, it had taken hours to get their rooms at the Black Fox due to the language barrier.  Next, after they had gotten settled Logan and Jean had set out to find Xavier's French friend.  What they found was that he had left town and wouldn't be back for several months.  So their potential source of information and aid was out of the picture leaving them alone and with nothing.  And the language difference remained a major problem.  They couldn't learn anything if they couldn't understand the locals.  It had been nearly two weeks since they had arrived and they were no closer to the Scrolls than they were before.  Now they were up the creek without a paddle so to speak.  To say they were frustrated would be a serious understatement.

            Jean, however, tried to look on the bright side of things.  For the moment they were staying in one place with no moving around planned in the near future.  This was the perfect opportunity to get Bobby alone for her little talk.  So far she had either been too busy or too tired to take advantage of the situation.  Now she was ready to go through with it, she just had to get him alone for a little while.  The red-headed psychic brushed off her dress after breakfast and approached Logan to set things up.

            "Good morning Logan."  She greeted cheerfully.

            "What do you want Jean."  The feral replied blandly.

            "What make you thing I want anything?"  Jean inquired innocently, pulling her face into a pout.

            "Because you never say 'good morning' to me twice."  He answered.

            "Oh, I said good morning already?  Silly me."  She returned, rather embarrassed at her slip-up.  "Well you caught me anyway.  There is something that I would like."

            "Tell me what and why and I'll see what I can do."  Logan said.

            "I was hoping that I could be paired with Bobby today because I would like to have a little private discussion with him."  Jean explained.  This surprised the Cursed man; it was several moments before he spoke.

            "What do want to talk about with him?"  He asked suspiciously.

            "Kitty."  Jean said.

            "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."  Logan replied slowly.

            "Well why not?"  Jean demanded.

            "There is a reason she keeps turning him down.  Several reasons probably.  The more you try to set her up with him the more she's going to fight it.  It's the way she is.  If she isn't open to the idea in the first place she isn't likely to change her mind about it."  Logan answered.

            "I know there are reasons, she listed them for me.  And I know she will fight it, but I still want to try this and help poor Bobby out."  Jean countered.

            "She may have listed out _some _of the reasons she has but I don't think she revealed _all _of them."  Logan replied.

            "What makes you say that?"  She asked curiously.

            "When I watch those two go at it I get the feeling that she's hiding something from him, from all of us.  I don't know why I feel that way, maybe it's the way she looks just after he gives up for a moment, or maybe it's something else.  But I'm sure there's more to it than you think."  Logan warned.

            "That may be."  Jean reluctantly admitted.  "But I still want to try and do this.  Kitty seems so lonely sometimes and I want to help her.  She claims to have no interest in courting but maybe she is just afraid of getting hurt.  I know that Bobby will never do that and he has strong interest in her.  If she truly gave him a chance they would be wonderful together.  So would you please put me with Bobby today?"  Jean begged, un-wavered by Logan's warnings.

            "Alright, fine.  Since I can't change your mind about this and I agree with certain parts of your argument I'll do it."  Logan grumbled.  He hated giving in like this, but he also hated it when Kitty got that sad, lost look on her face.  If letting Jean have her way this time helped erase that look from her face it would be worth it.

            "Thank you very much Logan."  Jean chirped happily.  No, she wasn't just happy, she was ecstatic.  Finally she had her chance to play match-maker for her two friends.  Despite the problems with their quest this would make it all worthwhile.  Now all she had to do was get him to listen and see how things went from there.  As the psychic prepared to go out her mind was immersed in plans for the futures of her young friends.  _Yes, things are definitely looking up!_

***

            "This is so stupid."  Bobby whined.  "Why are we out here if we can't even understand what the people are saying?  What's the point?"  He groused; studying the scuff marks his boots left in the dirt.  They were standing at the edge of the same market they had passed through on their first day in Paris hoping to stumble across some clue or rumor that might help.  Jean sighed and shook her head; this was going to be more difficult than she had thought it would be.  Bobby really needed her help because right now he was hopeless.

            "Bobby, why don't we talk about something else?"  Jean suggested.

            "Alright," Bobby sighed.  "Why did you want to be paired with me?  Are you trying to set Kitty up with Piotr or something?"  Iceman joked sarcastically.

            "No, I wanted to be paired with you so that we could talk in private."  Jean seriously answered.

            "Oh, so what do you want to talk to me about?"  He asked; his curiosity was piqued by this answer.

            "I want to talk about Kitty with you."  Jean replied.

            "Great, you're going to tell me to leave her alone aren't you."  Bobby sighed, looking somewhat melancholic.

            "Actually no, that's not what I'm going to say."  Jean said, surprising the young man.  "I want to help you out with her."

            "Are you serious?"  Bobby asked incredulously.

            "Yes I am quite serious.  You are in need of some help and I intend to give it to you."  She confirmed.  When Bobby remained speechless Jean continued.  "First, Kitty does not appreciate your flirting with every pretty girl in sight.  Not to mention it is quite rude to do so unless you have no wish to court anyone seriously.  Since you appear quite serious to me you should stop any flirting unless it is with her.  And it might keep you out of trouble for a while."

            "Second, she does not appreciate your immature behavior.  Your childish pranks and bragging do not impress her in the least.  In fact such behavior makes you less desirable all around.  Most women prefer a man who knows when to be serious and when to have fun.  You don't know how to do this so I suggest you learn quickly.  It is a life skill and more people will respect you if you learn when certain things are appropriate or not.  This will also help keep you out of trouble for some time."

            "And finally, whatever you do, don't get her mad or annoyed.  When she becomes upset with you back off and give her space, don't make things worse.  Wait for an hour or so before you try again and remember to be patient.  When she's calm try and make intelligent conversation.  You're very good at story-telling, Kitty even said so herself, so why don't you try telling her a few.  And, I'll say it again, be patient.  It will take a long time for her old impressions of you to wear away, but if you stick with it and don't give up then I think you have a good chance of winning her over."  Jean finished.

            Bobby looked quite overwhelmed by all this information he had been bombarded with.  But he also had been listening and would take Jean's good advice to heart.  He would remember this and give it a try.  He hadn't been able to win her before, maybe these hints would give him the edge he needed to win her heart like she won his.

***

            Wolverine was being watched.  They all had been watched since they had first arrived in Paris.  Logan was perfectly aware of the eyes scrutinizing him but gave no sign of his awareness.  Instead he calmly sipped his beer, a rarity around these parts, and waited for an opportunity.  He was going to catch this man and find out why he was spying on them.  Perhaps this man could help them somehow, or maybe he out to get them for some reason.  All sorts of possibilities buzzed around the feral man's head while he outwardly remained calm, even bored.

            The Cursed man finished his drink, paid his bill, and left the smoke filled tavern to return to the Black Fox.  His observer followed discreetly.  Logan ambled down the narrow city roads searching for a chance at his mysterious pursuer.  He did not have long to wait.  Barely a few streets away from the abandoned tavern Logan noticed a side alley that could easily conceal him, allowing for the possibility of getting behind the stranger.  It worked like a charm.  The Frenchman in a long, dark coat paused at the alley, looked around a bit, then gave up and started to leave.  Wolverine was behind him so fast the other man didn't have a second to react.

            "Well what do we have here?  A spy perhaps?"  Logan growled threateningly.  "For your sake I hope you aren't because I detest spies."  He emphasized his point by popping his claws on his right hand and lightly pricking the stranger with them.

            "Remy no spy."  The man hurriedly replied.  "He just curious is all.  Foreigners are not common here.  Remy just wondered what you all doing here is all.  Thieves honor."  That last part was a mistake.

            "So you're a thief."  Wolverine snarled, pricking Remy again.

            "Yes, Remy a thief.  But he is no ordinary thief.  Maybe Remy can help you _mon ami."  The French thief offered._

            "Can you get some information?"  Logan questioned.

            "_Oui, Remy can do that.  For a price."  Remy replied._

            "Of course.  I'll consider it.  For now I would appreciate it if you would stop watching us.  It bothers me."  Logan half growled.

            "Yes, Remy will."  The Frenchman promised.  Logan released the thief and continued on his way without a backward glance.  The thief could be useful, if he could be trusted.


	14. Trust

***Chapter 13***

**~Trust~**

            _Another day wasted.  Kitty thought darkly.  She and Piotr had wandered all over half of Paris it seemed and they hadn't learned a single thing.  The only difference between today and yesterday was her partner.  Normally she was paired with Jean but today Piotr had accompanied her.  That seemed strange to her, especially since Piotr informed her that it had been Jean's idea.  _She's planning something I just know it!  But the question is what?  _Shadowcat's mind began imaging various plots against her and most of them involved Bobby.  She shuddered._

            "What are you thinking about Katya?"  Piotr asked, using his Russian pet name for her.

            "All the horrible things that Jean could be planning with Bobby right now."  She growled, not looking the least bit pleased.

            "Now, now they are probably doing the same things we are.  There is no reason to suspect them of doing anything of that sort, and they are both friends, they'd never do anything 'horrible' to you."  The Russian ex-soldier soothed.

            "I'm not so sure about that.  Jean's been trying to get me to accept Bobby's advances since before we left home.  You said it was her idea to switch partners today so I bet she did it to plot with Bobby."  Kitty declared.

            "That could be I suppose.  But is that such a bad thing?"  Piotr questioned.

            "Of course it is!  He can be a nice person and he is a decent friend but I'm just not interested in him that way."  She cried, quite frustrated by the situation.

            "Come now, Bobby isn't that bad is he?  If you gave half a chance you might find that you like him."  The Russian suggested.

            "Where have I heard that before?  That's right, Jean told me the exact same thing before we left England and several times since then.  And still I have no romantic interest in Robert at all; it is not going to change.  How many times do I have to say that?"  Shadowcat moaned.  _And even if I did feel something other than friendship for him I'm not free to act on it.  _She added silently, not wanting to answer any questions about it.

            "Alright, we won't talk about it anymore.  No need to get upset over it."  Piotr said with a small chuckle.

            "Good, now that that's settled what do we talk about?  How pointless today's activities were?  Or something else?"  Kitty wondered.

            "I don't know, whatever you want to talk about is fine with me."  Piotr replied.

            "Well, how about Paris.  What do you think of this city as compared to other cities that you've visited?"  Kitty asked.

            Piotr answered by comparing Paris to London as well as Moscow and St. Petersburg.  All in all he found Paris to have to best weather, London had fog and good theater, and the two Russian cities had beautiful buildings but terrible winters.  Kitty continued to ask Colossus all sorts of questions about Russia and other things to pass the time as they made their way back 'home' to the Black Fox.

***

            "Wait, are you saying we may actually have a lead?"  Bobby asked in confusion.  The group sat around a table eating their dinner when Logan revealed his run in with the French thief.

            "That's exactly what I'm saying.  The question now is can he be trusted and can he deliver?"  The feral man said.  "So what do you all think, can we trust him?"

            "He speaks English?"  Bobby asked incredulously.

            "Yes, he speaks decent English."  Logan growled.

            "Well what are your impressions of him?"  Jean questioned.

            "For one he's a thief, he could steal from us if we aren't careful.  That's the biggest problem I can think of.  If we decide to trust him we all have to be careful of our things around him.  In fact I suggest we don't meet with him here but somewhere else just in case.  Aside from that I didn't see anything about him that bothers me."  Logan answered.

            "Anything else about him?"  Kitty inquired.

            "Not that I noticed no."  Logan replied.  "So what's the decision?"

            "This is the only lead we've come across in two weeks, it may not be completely trustworthy but it's better than nothing.  I saw we go for it."  Kitty said firmly.

            "I agree; it's worth the risk."  Jean concurred.

            "As do I."  Piotr agreed.

            "Me too."  Bobby answered.

            "So it's settled then.  The next time I see him I'll grab him and set things up."  Wolverine said decisively.

            "Logan," Kitty said warningly.  "Don't grab him, that's rude.  Can't you just walk up to him and talk like a civilized person?"

            "Not my style Kit.  Don't worry, I won't hurt him.  Unless he gives me a good reason to anyway."  He grumbled.

            "So are you going to take anybody with you?"  Bobby asked.

            "Well yes I am."  Logan replied, with a small but evil grin.  This made Bobby very nervous.  The feral man rarely smiled.  When he did it usually meant that he would enjoy something at someone else's expense.

            "Who?"  Bobby nervously asked.  _It better not be me!_

            "You of course, thanks for volunteering."  Logan replied.

            By this time everyone had finished eating and headed back to their rooms for the night.  They all settled down for the night, most falling asleep quickly, enjoying the luxury of sleeping on a real bed.  Not Bobby though, his mind was to busy bemoaning his fate to let him sleep.  He had been planning on putting Jean's advice to good use tomorrow but Wolverine had made that impossible.  He'd be too busy following Logan around to talk with her at all, and he also had to worry about the man's temper.  If he angered Logan it was almost certainly a death sentence.  _I'm going to die!_

***

            The next day was a windy one.  Some gusts were so strong they stripped laundry from the drying lines.  But most of the time the wind was only a mild annoyance.  It was more than enough to drive one Robert Drake mad.  The morning had started off badly with waking up late due to his sleeping troubles the previous night.  This caused him to almost miss breakfast and when he did finish eating, he immediately had to leave with Logan to seek out this helpful thief.  Now they were wandering the narrow, filthy streets of Paris in the area this Remy person was last seen hoping to get lucky.  No luck so far.

            "Can we go back now?  It's almost lunch time and we haven't seen a sign of this man."  Bobby whined.

            "Will you stop whining and be patient?  We're not going back until we find him or it gets dark.  If you're hungry then go buy something to eat."  Wolverine growled.  He swore this boy was whining simply to annoy him.  Perhaps it was a mistake to bring him along to find Remy.  But Bobby's stupid question had given him an opening he couldn't pass up.  It was a chance to give Kitty a break from her tireless and unwanted suitor and he knew that if he didn't separate the two she just might explode, again.  So if he wanted to help his prized sword student he'd have to put up with this for a while longer.  Thankfully the wait was over.

            "_Bonjour, are you looking for me?"  A French voice inquired.  Bobby just about jumped out of his skin while Logan remained perfectly calm._

            "Yes we were.  Now are we going to talk or are you going to play games?"  Wolverine growled.

            "Remy will talk, he offer to help so here he is."  Gambit replied smoothly.

            "Good, so let's talk.  Any place you prefer?"  Logan asked, remembering what Kitty had asked of him the day before.

            "Here be fine."  Remy replied, calmly leaning against the rough wall of a nearby alley.  "So what you want to know?"

            "We're looking for something that was stolen from a place in Northern England.  You wouldn't happen to know anything about the Destiny Scrolls would you?"  Wolverine questioned.  He noticed the thief's strange eyes but said nothing, filing away that little piece of information for later.

            "No, Remy know nothing about that.  But he ask around if you want.  If it here then the Guild knows, maybe even stole it already.  Want Remy to see?"  The thief asked helpfully.  Wolverine narrowed his eyes suspiciously, this was too easy and the thief hadn't even demanded pay for his services.  But so far so good, he'd play along and see where things went.

            "Sure, it can't hurt.  Do you mind if we follow you?"  Logan asked as politely as he could.  Remy seemed surprised at the request and took his time deciding.

            "Alright, if you really want to follow Remy you can.  But you better keep up, Remy not stopping if you get lost."  The Frenchman warned.

            "Good, lead on then."  Logan replied.  The thief gave a mock bow and proceeded off in some random direction, the feral man and a somewhat bewildered Bobby following behind.


	15. Assassins Guild

***Chapter 14***

**~Assassins Guild~**

            Remy leaned up against a crumbling brick wall watching the sun paint the sky with fire as it slid below the horizon.  Today had been a rather interesting day for him.  First the two English demanded to follow him as he went to ask about their 'Destiny Scrolls'.  He honestly didn't think they'd be able to keep up with him, which is why he had agreed to their request, but somehow they had.  Henri hadn't been particularly pleased with their presence as he made the request for information.  It had taken all his powers of persuasion to convince Henri to help him and now all he to do was wait for the answer from the Guild.

            His piercing red-black eyes studied the two Englishmen as he struggled to figure them out.  The older gruff man named Logan seemed like the perfect hunter tough, wise, and patient.  Remy couldn't quite picture him as a relic hunter but he seemed quite capable of the job.  The younger man however was a different story.  He was a polar opposite of his older companion weak, naive, and very impatient.  All he'd done was whine and complain the whole time and did not look like he belonged in the other man's company at all.  So why were they together?  And what of the other people He had seen them traveling with?  And what were these 'Destiny Scrolls' that they were looking for exactly?  Before he could ponder any questions on these strange English people further Logan left his whining companion's side and approached him.

            "You have very interesting eyes thief, have they always been that color?"  Logan growled.

            "_Oui, Remy born with them."  Gambit confirmed.  He hoped this wouldn't get him into any trouble._

            "Anything else special about you that we ought to know?"  Logan asked.

            "Like what _mon ami?  Remy's favorite wine?"  Gambit playfully teased.  The wild looking Englishman growled sounding more like an animal than a man._

            "I think you know what I mean.  It would be in your best interest to tell me now rather than later."  The man snarled.  Remy swallowed nervously deciding never to try and tease this man again.

            "Remy be Cursed."  He quickly replied.

            "That's what I thought."  Logan mumbled half to himself and wandered back towards his annoying traveling companion.  He never made it.

            The alley in which they had been waiting abruptly exploded in violence as a group of men wearing dark cloaks spilled in and drew their weapons.  Remy wasn't entirely sure of the chain of events which followed as the haze of battle and the will to survive overtook him.  All he was aware of was the blur of glittering steel and the snarling shouts of brawling men.  The chaotic battle seemed to last forever but it ended as swiftly began.  Remy struggled to calm his ragged breathing as he surveyed the damage.  Most of the attackers were dead or wounded, their short swords and long daggers sliced to pieces.  But more cloaked men now arrived to fill the gaps or drag away their casualties.  Logan looked like a cornered wild beast with three metal blades protruding from each hand, his wild eyes fixed on one man.  This one man held a limp unconscious Bobby Drake by his shirt collar with a serrated dagger pressed to his throat.

            "Move and he dies."  The man snarled in a thick French accent.  "Put down weapons and don't fight."  He commanded.  Logan snarled but obeyed, retracting his metallic claws back into himself.  Remy was a bit more hesitant but gave in as well throwing his small concealable daggers onto the hard-packed earth.  That boy was annoying but he didn't deserve to die yet.  The dark cloaked strangers moved forward, bound their hands behind their backs and blindfolded them.  Remy felt himself being led down street after street, turned round and round till he was completely lost.  Then they stopped for an indeterminate period of time as their captors conversed among themselves.  Remy strained to hear what was being said but it was impossible.  Then without warning something, or fist or a club, struck the back of his head and he knew no more.

***

            Bobby felt like Hell.  It was like having Piotr in his metal form stomping on his head, the worst hangover ever.  But he hadn't been to any taverns recently, so why did he feel this way?  He remembered being mad at losing his chance to spend time with Kitty and test out Jean's advice.  He'd been following Logan and looking for some French thief trying to get some information on those stupid scrolls.  They'd found him and chased him all over Paris to make sure he wasn't cheating them.  Then there'd been a fight.  Before he could fully react to what was happening something hard had smacked him on the side of the head and everything had gone black.

            Bobby started to sigh but it swiftly transformed into a groan under the influence of his pounding head.  He tried to open his eyes but the flickering torchlight stung his eyes and made his poor head hurt worse.  When he finally did get his eyes open the sight that greeted him was a grim one.  Bobby found himself chained to the wall of a small damp cell God only knew where.  The chilly air bit through his clothes leaving him numb and shivering.  The torchlight that had blinded him earlier threw flickering shadows dancing across the walls.  Somewhere he could hear rats squeaking and scurrying through the darkness as they did whatever it was that rats do.

            "Hello, anybody out there?"  Bobby called out, his voice hoarse and scratchy.  An echoing silence was his only reply.  _Wonderful, looks like I'll just have to get myself out on my own then.  He tested the chains the bound him to the wall.  They seemed sturdy enough to hold a bull captive but that was no problem for him.  He reached down into himself and summoned the ice cold chill to freeze the shackles to make them brittle and much more breakable.  But nothing happened.  He tried again with more focus but again nothing.  His powers were useless.  He couldn't see the shackles themselves but he was sure they were covered in spelled runes or a blocking spell of some kind which rendered his freezing skills useless.  Now he was in trouble._

            Before he could come up with another escape plan footsteps echoed down to his cell and he paused to listen.  He heard several people pass his cell and enter another a bit further down.  He listened as a heated conversation took place; it was in French of course so he was completely in the dark.  It quickly grew into a shouting match which ended with what sounded like a slap and the slamming of a cell door.  This time he caught a glimpse of the people as they stormed past.  One in particular caught his eye.  She was a strikingly beautiful woman with golden blonde hair and icy blue eyes.  Her beautiful face was contorted into a mask of fury and hurt as she rushed past his cell door.  _What was that all about?_  Bobby wondered as silence once again descended on his lonely prison cell.

***

            "Mind explaining yourself thief?"  Logan growled from his cell across the hall from Remy's.

            "Where do you want Remy to start?"  The demoralized French thief asked.

            "Who are these people?"  Logan demanded.

            "They be the Assassins Guild, sworn enemies of the Thieves Guild."  Gambit replied.

            "Why are you enemies?"  Bobby's small voice asked from two cells down.

            "You awake?"  Remy asked.

            "Yes he is, now answer the question."  Logan commanded.

            "We been enemies since forever.  We compete over territory and information, thieves need it for stealing they need it for killing.  There been times when there been peace between us but it never last."  Gambit explained.

            "What about that woman?  She didn't look very happy with you."  Logan asked.

            "Yeah who was she?"  Bobby wondered.

            "She be Belladonna, daughter of a master assassin of the Guild.  She the girl Remy supposed to marry."  Gambit reluctantly admitted.

            "You going to marry her?  Lucky guy."  Bobby exclaimed.

            "Not any more Remy isn't.  That's why Belladonna be so mad."  Gambit sighed.

            "What happened?"  Logan asked quietly.

            "Remy was supposed to marry Belladonna to make lasting peace between the Guilds.  But then Remy met little nobody Assassin girl.  She different than Belladonna, Marie be special.  But Belladonna find out about Marie, sent her on a job that she don't come back from.  Now Remy don't know if she alive or dead and he miss her."  Gambit sadly explained.

            "I see."  Logan mumbled.

            "That's so sad."  Bobby said.

            "That be life _mon ami, _that be life."  Remy sighed.  The talented, Cursed French thief slumped back against the cold stone walls of his cell.  His mind lost in the past, lost in the green eyes of a young assassin that he would never see again.


	16. Farewell to Paris

***Chapter 15***

**~Farewell to ****Paris****~**

            Bobby wasn't quite sure how long they had been imprisoned by the Assassins.  There was no light of any kind by which to judge the time in their dark dungeon.  But that didn't matter to Bobby for every second was an eternity to him.  Every moment he was chained to the moss covered wall of his cell, was a moment he could have spent pulling pranks, talking with pretty girls, or being with the object of his affections, Kitty.  And once the time had passed, it was gone forever, never to be recovered and used properly.  If only he could freeze his chain, he could break them and escape but the cursed chains were protected by a spell, which made any escape impossible.  For perhaps the thousandth time he ran through a lengthy list of curses, mentally berating just about everything and anything he could think of.  And it still didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

            A distant crash caused Bobby to pause his litany of oaths.  What was going on now?  There were a few more crashes coming from the levels above and what sounded like a great deal of shouting.  Iceman sat silent and tense waiting to see what fate would befall them this time.  If he really strained his ears, he thought he could hear clangs of metal-on-metal contact.  Who was fighting whom up there?  Before his wild imagination could think up too many fantastical possibilities he heard a click and felt his chains fall away.  Bobby rubbed his numb, chafed wrists and turned to see his angel crouched beside him.

            "Kitty!"  Iceman exclaimed joyously before embracing her.

            "Bobby be quiet and get off me!"  She hissed.  "Do you want me to get you out of here or not?"

            "Sorry, sorry."  He hurriedly apologized reluctantly releasing her from his grip.

            "Thank you, now come on."  She commanded.  Kitty grabbed him roughly by the wrist, dragged him through his cell door, and left him standing dazed in the passageway as she entered Logan's cell to free him.  After they all were freed, Gambit included, they followed Kitty's lead through a maze of hallways and corridors until they were free of the Assassins' building altogether.  Once outside and several streets away they all paused to catch their breaths.

            "You came for us!"  Bobby exclaimed between gasps.

            "Of course we did, why wouldn't we?"  Kitty replied sounding rather insulted.

            "Thank you so much!"  He cried and hugged her again.

            "Bobby I told you to get off once already, don't make me say it again."  Kitty growled.  He hesitantly let go.

            "This your girlfriend?"  Remy asked Bobby curiously.

            "No I am not."  Kitty snapped before Bobby could reply.

            "Really?"  Gambit replied not sounding the least bit convinced.

            "Kitty where are Jean and Piotr?"  Logan demanded forestalling the girl's imminent explosive denial.

            "They're finishing up with those Assassin people.  They'll meet us at the Black Fox when they're done."  She explained.

            "Two people against the whole Assassin's Guild!  That be suicide!"  Remy exclaimed incredulously.

            "They aren't any ordinary 'two people'; they can handle themselves just fine.  We're going to have to leave in a hurry once they get back so let's get packing."  Logan firmly decided.  Bobby and Kitty quickly followed the feral man's lead leaving Remy trailing behind looking somewhat stunned.  _What have I gotten myself into now?_

***

            Kitty saddled Phantom in preparation for their imminent departure all the while thinking up creative ways to maim that damned French thief.  _How dare he assume that I am Bobby's girlfriend!  _She thought angrily._  He's either blind and deaf or out to annoy me.  _Kitty decided.  _For his sake, I hope he's blind and deaf._  _Because if he's out to annoy me then he's just asking for me to hurt him!  She tightened the girth of the saddle and began to attach her bags with jerky angry movements.  Phantom turned her head and gently nudged Kitty's shoulder with her nose.  When her mistress failed to respond Phantom repeated the action with a bit more force._

            "What?"  She snapped.  The mare flinched away at the loud sound twisting her sensitive ears back.  Kitty relaxed and stroked the horse's neck in silent apology for her outburst.  Phantom accepted the unspoken apology by lightly nibbling Kitty's travel cloak.  The mare's dark brown eyes held a question.  _'Why are you so upset?' _they seemed to ask.

            "So you want to know why I'm upset, do you?"  She sighed.  Phantom looked at her mistress expectantly.  "Alright, I'll tell you.  I've been mistaken as Bobby's girlfriend again.  Is everyone as blind to my feelings as he is?"  She asked the horse who had no answer to give her even if she could speak.  "Why doesn't that idiot give up?  Every time he asks, I say no.  That won't change yet he persists in asking."  Kitty complained to the patient mare.  Kitty would have said more but Logan entered the nearly deserted stable to saddle his horse.

            "Talking to your horse again?"  Logan asked already knowing the answer.

            "Yes, is there anything wrong with that?"  She asked.

            "No, not at all."  Logan replied.  "What were you discussing?"  Logan asked curiously.

            "We weren't discussing anything.  I was just complaining again."  Kitty quietly admitted.

            "About Bobby or Remy?"  He asked.

            "Both, and just about every one else too."  She replied.

            "Really?  Am I included?"  He wondered.

            "No, you're one of the few who isn't."  She answered.

            "So what has 'just about every one' done to upset you?"  Logan inquired.

            "They assume that I'm Bobby's girlfriend."  She growled.

            "I see."  Logan replied.  For a while, the only sounds were that of the horses.  Then Kitty thought of something.

            "Logan, where is that Remy person?"  She curiously asked.

            "He went out to see if his Guild knows anything about the Destiny Scrolls."  He answered.

            "And you trust him to come back and tell us what he finds out?"  She asked.

            "No, of course not.  I sent Bobby to follow him and make sure that he comes back."  Logan replied.

            "You sent Bobby?  Isn't he the reason you were captured in the first place?"  Kitty wondered.

            "Yes he was but I don't think he'll mess up this time."  Logan confidently answered.

            "How can you be sure?"  Kitty asked.

            "Because if he does mess up he has to answer to me."  Logan replied.  

            "Ah, I see."  Kitty mumbled.

            "Now would you do me a favor and help me get all these other horses ready to go?"  Logan grumbled.

            "Of course."  Kitty replied moving on to saddle and load up Jean's mare.  

            "If Jean and Piotr get back before Bobby does we're going to wait for him at the East edge of the city.  We don't want to get in any more trouble with these Assassins if we can help it."  Logan growled.

            "Right."  Kitty agreed.  As she finished with Jean's horse and moved to work on Bobby's horse she thought about Bobby keeping that thief in line.  _He'd better not mess this up or I just might help __Logan__ out with him._

***

            Remy resisted the urge to pick up a stone, charge it, and throw at that stupid English boy's head.  He understood Logan's concern about getting the information he wanted, but why did he have to send this young fool?  If he didn't stop complaining about his unfair separation from that girl soon Remy felt he might go mad.  

            "Bobby."  Remy said at last.

            "What?"  Bobby moaned.

            "Be quiet."  Remy growled.

            Bobby sighed but nodded.  And five minutes later, he started to complain again.  Before Remy could find a suitable stone to throw, they arrived outside of the Red Rooster, the meeting place he had set up with Henri.  Thankfully, Henri was inside waiting for him.

            "[Go to the stable.]"  Henri tersely commanded and left before Remy could say a word.  Remy did as he was told and found a single brown and white mottled horse waiting for him fully packed and saddled.  Remy removed a note that was tied to the horse's reins and read it to see what his instructions were.

_Remy,_

_            In answer to your question concerning an item known as the Destiny Scrolls, no we do not have them and they are not anywhere in Paris.  They may have passed through here but that cannot be confirmed nor can their location be determined.  They may not even be in __France__.  Go tell this to your new English 'friends'._

_            And due to your recent run-in with the Assassins, I must ask you to leave __Paris__ for a while.  You have really stirred them up this time and they are out for your head.  Use this horse and these supplies well and come back in a year or two when things settle down again.  Take care of yourself._

_                        Jean-Luc_

            Remy sighed, so it seemed that his own mentor had had enough of him.  Now he was temporarily exiled from Paris for a year or more.  He untied the horse and led it from the stable with a complaining Bobby following close behind.  Remy mounted the horse and studied the early evening sky for an answer to this new problem.  It gave him no solutions.

            "Get on already."  Remy snapped to Bobby.

            "Is this your horse?"  Bobby asked.

            "It is now.  Get on and let's go."  Remy grumbled.

            "Why are you so grumpy?"  Bobby wondered.

            "Remy not having a good day today."  Remy replied irritated by the English boy's silly questions.  _But it looks like I'm going to have to put up with this a whole lot more.  If they want to get these scrolls, they just might have to steal them from some one else.  And who better to steal something than a master thief?_


	17. Tensions

***Chapter 16***

**~Tensions~**

            Kitty felt as if she were going to explode at any moment.  _Damn him!  _She thought darkly.  Oblivious to her state of mind Bobby sat next to her smiling like a drunken fool.  If only she could wring his neck right now, she could die happy.  But she couldn't.  So she had no choice but to tolerate his irritating presence.  She leaned away from him and closer to the campfire seeking it's warmth to combat the unusually cool night.  She glared across the fire at the owner of a pair of odd red-black eyes, her unwanted suitor's new partner, Gambit the Cursed.  

            True Gambit was something of a godsend to them.  He could translate for them and was a master at gathering information.  They spent half as much time in each village after Paris as compared to before.  Gambit's only fault seemed to be his old stealing habits, but since he was never caught while they were in the village they were willing to let it go for the moment.  But the French thief's collaborating with her unwanted suitor made him a hated enemy to her.  

            At first Gambit seemed to have an extreme dislike of the young English boy.  But after the first week of traveling with them, the two formed a strange sort of friendship.  Perhaps it was Gambit's appreciation for Bobby's talent for story telling or maybe it was just pity but the Frenchman took the boy under his wing so to speak.  He began teaching Bobby how to charm women and be the perfect gentleman.  Whenever he pushed her a bit to far he would back off and leave her be instead of blindly forging on ahead as he had done before.  He was extremely polite and rarely flirted with girls anymore, at least not that she had seen.  Every reason that she had given Jean why she disliked him no longer appeared to be accurate.  Now Kitty had trouble finding a legitimate reason, if she could find one at all, to refuse him.  Well there was one but she pushed it from her mind.  For all she knew it might not even be true anymore.

            She broke off her heated gaze and sighed in defeat.  _What ever did I do to deserve this?  _She thought miserably as she anxiously twisted her ring, one of the few pieces of jewelry that she regularly wore.  Kitty glanced to her left only to see Bobby's smile broaden even more.  She massaged her temples as she felt the beginnings of a headache forming behind her eyes.  _Why?  She mentally cried.  __Why?_

_            //Why what?//  _Jean asked curiously.  The sudden mental intrusion caused Kitty to start in surprise, which in turn caused Bobby to become concerned.

            "Are you alright?"  He asked with polite concern.

            "Yes, I'm fine, it's nothing."  She sharply replied.  Bobby looked unconvinced but let it slide.

            _//Don't startle me like that!//  Kitty mentally snapped._

            _//Sorry, my fault.  But why what?//  Jean repeated._

            _//Why must Bobby keep trying to court me?  And why did you help him?//  Kitty demanded._

            _//Whoever said that I helped him?//  Jean asked innocently._

            _//Why else would you volunteer to be paired with him?//  Kitty countered._

            _//When did I do that?//  Jean wondered._

            _//Back in Paris, did you think that I forgot that?//  Kitty mentally growled._

            _//Yes, I was hoping that you did.//  Jean sheepishly admitted._

            _//Well I didn't.  Now tell me why.//  Kitty commanded._

            _//Why not?  Bobby really cares for you, he is a good young man, and I don't see why you consistently turn him down.  So now I ask you, why?//  Jean replied.  _

            _//I don't like him.  I feel no romantic feelings for him whatsoever.  This fact has not changed and it will not change.  How many times must I say this?//  Kitty mentally cried in frustration._

            _//Why don't you like him?  And don't give me the same old reasons, he has worked on those and they really no longer apply.//  Jean commanded.  Kitty glared at the red-haired woman and growled softly.  Unfortunately it was perfectly silent around the campfire everyone, not just Bobby, heard her._

            "Kitty, are you sure that you are alright?"  Bobby quietly asked.

            "Of course I am; why wouldn't I be?"  She replied in a strained voice.

            "Well you've been staring off into space for a while and now you suddenly give Jean an evil look."  Bobby answered.

            "Just some woman talk."  Kitty vaguely replied.

            "You weren't talking to anyone."  Bobby said looking as confused as he sounded.

            "Yes I was.  You just weren't meant to hear it."  Kitty snapped.

            "Well what were you talking about then?"  Bobby asked curiously.

            "None of your business!"  She growled.

            "Alright, I was just wondering because whatever it was that you were discussing seemed to be upsetting you."  Bobby quietly replied shifting away from her slightly but not as much as Kitty would've liked.

            "It's nothing."  Kitty assured him.  She turned back and faced the fire trying to calm herself and allow the pressure within her to subside.

            "Is it nothing?"  Jean asked aloud.  "You still haven't answered my question."

            "It doesn't matter."  Kitty firmly asserted.

            "Maybe to you it doesn't, but it might to Bobby."  Jean countered.

            "What might matter to me?"  Bobby asked.

            "Jean!"  Kitty hissed.  _//What are you doing!//_

"I asked you why you keep refusing Bobby and I think he would like to know more than I do."  Jean evenly replied.  _//I really didn't want to press you on this but things have gone on long enough and I know that you've been hiding something from me, from all of us.  Please just answer the question Kitty.//  _Kitty looked pleadingly at Jean but the older woman wouldn't budge.

            "As I said before, I don't care for him that way.  I wouldn't mind simply being his friend but anything beyond that is impossible for me."  Kitty tiredly replied.

            "But why?"  Bobby asked mournfully.  His expression reminded Kitty of a beaten puppy.

            "Because I don't feel that way about you.  I'm sorry but it's the truth."  Kitty softly apologized.  "I thought I made this clear several times before but it seems I was mistaken."

            "Did I do anything wrong?"  He asked sadly.

            "No you didn't.  You were just yourself and if you were anything other than that then it would be wrong."  Kitty replied.

            "Oh."  He said softly.  

            "There's something else, isn't there?"  Jean prodded.  Kitty looked up sharply at the red haired mind reader.  

            "Whatever do you mean?"  Kitty asked suspiciously.  _//What!//  Kitty mentally shouted._

            "I mean that there's something you haven't told us about yourself.  I sensed it a while ago but decided not to press you on it.  But now I have a feeling that whatever it is that you're hiding could be important."  Jean replied firmly.  Kitty could tell there was no escaping things this time, Jean wouldn't let her.  And she could see no one else would either as she glanced around the fire.  Remy looked mildly curious about the events that were unfolding before him.  Logan looked impassive as usual but his gaze was unusually intense.  Piotr looked at her very concerned, his worried eyes questioned her.  And Bobby remained lost in a melancholic daze only partly aware of what was going on around him.  

            There was no way out for her.  Kitty nervously twisted her ring a few times as her mind struggled to find a way to explain things.  The popping and crackling of the fire sounded deafeningly loud in the heavy silence that fell over their camp.  After a brief eternity, Kitty gathered her nerve, straightened up, and told them.


	18. Revelation

***Chapter 17***

**~Revelation~**

            I don't know where to start.  If I start at the very beginning and tell all there is to tell then it might takes days, even weeks to finish.  And if I start too recently or give too few details, then I might have too many questions to answer.  So here goes nothing.

            During the feast month of December, when I was eight years old I met a boy.  I'd never seen him before which was unusual because strangers aren't allowed to most of my family's celebrations.  I didn't think much of it though; I had other things on my mind such as how to get back at my evil cousins for tormenting me.  Then at that night's feast, my Father made an announcement.  He said that on this night he would honor a promise he made to an old friend long ago.  He then said that he had engaged me to his old friend's son as per their agreement.  And his friend's son just so happened to be the boy that I had run into earlier.

            I was angry of course; Father hadn't asked me or even suggested that something like this might happen.  I had no idea who this boy was and he frightened me a little.  He was so strange and he was foreign too.  I wanted to have nothing to do with him but my family left me little choice.  The deal was set and sometime after my 15th birthday we were to be married.  My Father's friend, a Germanic count, and his son stayed through all of December.  My family put the two of us together at every opportunity to give us the chance to get to know each other better.  For the most part, it was a mild hell.  He could barely speak proper English and was always in a bad mood.  I don't suppose that I could blame him being far away from his own family and anything familiar.  At the end of December, they left and I heard nothing more from them for years.

            As I grew older, I developed an interest in a neighboring boy, the son of a knight, Lance Alvers.  He was two years older than I was and very handsome.  He flattered me, made me feel special and I was deeply smitten by him.  By the time I was eleven years old I had completely forgotten about the Germanic boy that I was to marry and only thought of Lance.  Then one day a stranger came to my home, or at least I thought he was a stranger at first.  He was oddly familiar but I brushed it off as my imagination and went about my business.  But then this strange boy started to follow me around.  It annoyed me and I tried to ignore him but it was no use.  Then my Mother told me that the strange boy was my foreign fiancé. 

            I was furious again.  He shouldn't have come yet; I still had four years of freedom from him yet; plenty of time for me to find a knight in shining armor to carry me away from my old life and obligations.  Now I was out of time.  Things back in Germania had taken a nasty turn, feuds between the noble families were heating up and it was no longer safe for him to remain there.  So the wedding was moved up and he was sent to live with my family for a while.  When the original wedding date arrived we were to travel back to live with his family as planned.  

            I wanted to scream.  I wanted nothing to do with this boy and his Germanic accent, and his strange amber colored eyes.  He was so odd running around in peasant style clothes, usually without shoes, and always getting into trouble with everyone.  His father sent an old man to be his tutor and a young man to be his sword teacher and bodyguard with him to my home as well.  The old man was a bit eccentric and the swordsman was something of a pervert, always getting into trouble with the women.  The three of them combined turned my world upside-down.  And made it nearly impossible for me to see Lance the way I wanted.

            My life shifted between something tolerable and a complete nightmare.  Some days I could stand him and other days he drove me near madness.  He was the one who introduced me to the sword and made his bodyguard teach me too.  He was the one who constantly stole 'snacks' from the kitchens and tormented to cooks to no end.  He was the one who I loved to dance with.  And he was the one who pulled pranks on any and every member of my family.  With him around life was never dull.

            He lived with my family for four years.  During that time, I did all that I could to see Lance without my husband knowing.  But I don't see how he didn't know.  I would disappear for hours at a time and even miss some sword lessons.  Either he was a blind and ignorant fool or he knowingly let me see him.  Why, I have no idea.  My infatuation deepened for Lance and I became oblivious to all his faults and flaws, to me he was perfect.  I wanted nothing more than to be with him for the rest of my life.  

            Then a month or so before my 15th birthday the headaches began.  At first, they didn't last long and were not terribly intense.  Lance told me not to worry, they were probably nothing.  But they lasted longer, hurt more, and came more and more frequently.  Then it happened.  My husband was off with most of my male relatives on a hunting trip leaving the women alone.  I had a nightmare, the same one I'd had the past few nights, about flying then falling.  When I woke, I was not in my bedchambers but in the servants' quarters several levels below.  My phantom-like Curse was born.

            I was terrified and confused, we all were.  No one knew what to think or do.  My family was in an uproar, one of their treasured daughters was tainted by some mysterious and evil malady.  The fear and suspicion grew and fed into itself until a sort of panic gripped us all.  I couldn't think clearly and as my panic intensified my tenuous control over my power slipped.  There were time when for hours at a time I could not solidify.  I couldn't sleep at night for fear that I would fall again and never stop.  I couldn't eat or drink either; it all fell through my hands.  I grew weaker and weaker; my mind became a tangle of fear and madness.  No one would go near me for fear that whatever afflicted me could spread.  Even my Mother could not bear to be near me for more than a few minutes at a time.  By the end of the week I was dying, slowly fading away to nothing.

            In my delirious state of mind, I prayed for Lance to come and save me from all of this, but he never came, not once.  Then my husband returned.  My family warned him off, told him to stay away from me, but he ignored them all.  He came to me and tried to give me some water but the cup passed right through my hands as if they were made of nothing more than air.  I expected him to run away and leave me to die alone like all the others but he didn't.  He cleaned up the spilled water, brought me another glass, and tried again.  He stayed with me until he succeeded and then he held me.  He never said a word, just held me until I could keep myself solid.  Then he carried me to bed and helped me to sleep.

            From then on he rarely left my side ignoring all of my family's frightened pleas to leave me be.  He patiently helped me regain my shattered control and even encouraged me to experiment with my newfound skill.  He was never afraid and grew angry with those who were.  He found ways to make me laugh again and made me believe that it would be all right again.  Despite all that I had done to him, he still cared for me.  He saved me from myself and helped me life again.  I thought he would never leave me.

            But one day a young cousin, I forget who exactly, came and told my husband that my parents wished to speak alone with him.  He went leaving me behind in one of my family's gardens.  That was the last time I ever saw him.  I waited and waited but he never came back.  At sunset, I gave in and went inside.  Every one seemed more upset than they usually were, looking everywhere but at me.  He wasn't at dinner, but I wasn't worried, he'd missed supper many times before.  I stayed up as late as I could but he didn't come and visit me.  I thought that maybe he was in trouble with my parents again, he usually was, and I would see him in the morning.

            Breakfast came and went but my husband was nowhere to be seen.  I became concerned, he would never miss seeing me today of all days.  I went to his room to see what was the matter and received a devastating shock.  The room was completely empty as if no one had ever lived in it.  All his things were gone and he was nowhere in sight.  I searched frantically for something, anything that might give me a clue to his location.  I found nothing but a long thin bundle wrapped in burlap.  It was a sword.  It was thinner and lighter than most with intricate designs snaking from the hilt to the blade tip.  I suppose that it was my gift, I couldn't see him using this pretty little sword that seemed made just for me.  It was a wonderful present and I would've been overjoyed with it under most circumstances, but he was not there to thank and I felt hollow inside.  This was, without a doubt, my worst birthday ever.

            When I finally was able to pull myself back together, I sought out my parents for an explanation.  They ignored my pleas saying only that he was gone and never coming back.  They told me to forget him and move on.  Lance came to visit me that day as well.  He brought his customary gift of fine, expensive cloth to make a dress and tried to woo me with empty compliments.  I found that I was no longer blind to his failings and felt no affection for him anymore.  Where had he been when I needed him?  Nowhere near me that was certain.  When he learned I was Cursed he became strangely excited.  So was he it turned out and he had heard rumors that my marriage would soon be dissolved giving him a chance at me.  He only spoke of the future, how powerful our children would be, and how great his status would become.  I had enough then and told him off in no uncertain terms.  If I ever see him, again it will be far too soon.

            But freeing myself from that pig Lance didn't assuage my pain.  My husband was gone.  I didn't know if he was even my husband anymore.  I was a pariah among my own kin and I could find no escape.  Then Lord Xavier came, took me away from my old life, and gave me a new one.  I tried to forget my past and start over, but I couldn't.  I was hurt and confused, I still am.  I wasn't pressed to talk about my past, so I didn't, it hurt me too much.  I never meant to hide anything from you all or hurt you, but I have and I'm sorry.  So now you know pretty much all there is to know.  I hope you all are satisfied.


	19. Iceman Lost

***Chapter 18***

**~Iceman Lost~**

            The wind growled through young damp late spring leaves and stirred the thick black clouds above.  Lightning would flicker through the menacing cauldron of the stormy sky occasionally, adding an eerie effect to the forest below.  Rain poured from above in thick wet sheets blinding the eyes and drowning the living.  Plants wilted under the weight of water despairing for a glint of warm sunlight, which had not been seen in nearly a week.  Through this endless tempest, a weary line of waterlogged horses and riders pressed on, weighed down by more than just the force of the rain.

            Remy Lebeau the Gambit huddled miserably on top of his yet unnamed horse numbly followed Bobby 'the Iceman' and his steed Blizzard.  Oh, how things had changed since he had joined this group on their little quest.  When he first met them, they were close to one another, friendly and warm and focused on their goal.  But now things were different.  After that girl Kitty revealed her past, things weren't the same.  No longer were they close and friendly with each other or focused, but lost in their own thoughts, distant and cold.

            Logan seemed to be the least affected of them all.  He already was somewhat distant from the group, always more focused on their surroundings seeking out sources of potential danger.  That much remained the same.  The only difference that Remy noticed was that Logan had taken to mutilating a tree every morning before they broke camp.  Maybe he was practicing his strikes before loosing Hell on Kitty's absent husband if or when they ever came across him.  Remy idly wondered if 'the Wolverine' cared about what had happened to the morale of his group at all.  It could be that he was keeping his thoughts to himself or perhaps he had no thoughts on the matter at all.  His calm, cool attitude was a far cry from the others.

            Kitty had yet to truly open up again.  She would answer simple questions like if she was ready to leave yet, but beyond that, she refused to speak a word.  Any attempt he or anyone else made to engage her in any sort of conversation failed miserably.  She behaved coolly towards the others but she was down right frigid towards Jean.  Whenever the mind-witch would approach her, Kitty would give her a frosty glare and the fire-haired woman would visibly flinch, and then retreat.  The way things were going between the two it might be months before Kitty would speak to Jean again, if ever.  Their friendship was in shambles.

            Remy turned his attention to the massive Russian. Piotr Nikoleyvitch Rasputin, once a proud warrior of the icy northern kingdom Russia, now slumped low in his saddle bowing under the relentless pounding rain.  The once warm and cheerful man now was often lost in thought, always distant and distracted.  Yesterday during a break, the former thief had attempted to uncover the source of what troubled the mighty Colossus.

            "Eh _mon ami, how goes things with you?"  Remy had asked as he settled down on a log next to the displaced soldier._

            "Not terribly well my friend."  Piotr dully responded as he wiped down his soaked saddle straps.

            "Mind telling Gambit about it?"  Remy quietly asked fiddling with his gambling dice.

            "No, not today."  Piotr replied softly turning away to leave. 

            "When you change your mind Remy be waiting."  The French thief quietly said slipping the wooden dice back into an old leather pouch at his side.

             "Why did she never say anything?"  The Russian mumbled to no one in particular as the Frenchman watched on in silence.

            From what little had been said, Remy guessed that what the Russian had learned of his young friend's past disturbed him.  Or that she had not felt comfortable enough to tell him, or anyone else for that matter, about her experiences.  Or perhaps it was both.  But whatever the exact reason for Piotr's melancholy was there was one among the band worse off than he was.

            Robert 'Bobby' Drake the 'Iceman' was a pale shadow of the vibrant naive young man that Remy had befriended a few weeks earlier.  Ever since that night, he had not spoken a word.  He moved about in a complete daze and seemed to have lost some of his grip on reality.  Remy felt sorry for the poor boy, he knew how it felt to love someone, give them your heart and soul, only to lose them.  The image of a young beautiful girl with jade eyes and a distinctive white stripe of hair that contrasted starkly against the brown danced behind his eyes.  He knew it all too well.

            Remy looked away from the soaked and spiritless foreigners before he too lost what little hope for his own happiness remained.  Instead, he focused on his new horse, she really needed a name.  He didn't want her to be like Logan's horse who was named Horse, how very boring indeed.  The sturdy white mare was liberally splotched with large, shapeless, tan spots.  Seeing these spots gave him some inspiration.  He scratched her neck soothingly and leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

            "_Taches."  The French word for spots.  "That be your name now."  He couldn't be quite sure but he thought she approved of it by the way she shook her soaked mane.  "__Oui, much better than just 'horse', __non?"_

***

            _Why?  Why, why, why?  Why must it rain so hard?  Why doesn't it stop?  Why must it be so cold?  Why does the rain sting like ant bites?  Why oh why must it all hurt so much?_

The rain seemed to press him lower and lower into the seat of his saddle and the cold water slowly leeched away what little strength he had left.  Blizzard shivered and groaned beneath him but it took a few minutes to fully register in his mind.  Wearily Bobby surveyed their surroundings blinking slowly against the hard rain.  The evergreen giants and ancient leafy trees bent and groaned as the heavy sheets of water fell from the sky.  The thick gray mud sucked on the horses' hooves and thickly caked everything in sight.  He could smell nothing but mud and damp vegetation as the rain had long since washed all other scents away.  And he heard nothing but the rumble of the rain and intermittent growls of thunder.

            _Why must it hurt so?  How can fate be so cold and cruel?  I tried so hard for her.  I gave her my heart, my soul, and by law, she was unable to accept them.  And did she even wish to?  Did she allow herself to feel freely or does she reject her feelings purely out of loyalty to a man who abandoned her?  What does she feel for me?  Is it merely friendship?  Is it something more?  Or is it something less?  Will I ever know?_

Another sound slowly seeped into Bobby's ears but he was nearly to its source before he fully noticed it.  It was a dull roar, the sound of rushing water over stone, a river.  Barely a moment after his mind caught up with his ears a mighty river came into view on the left.  It was wide, deep, and fast flowing.  It was silty brown and choked with branches, leaves, and stones.  This week of constant rain had changed this river into a terrible, angry beast.

            _Will I ever know the answer?  Can I even bear to hear it?  Can words tear a soul?  Crush a heart?  Will I ever be able to look upon her beautiful face without hurting?  Or will I always be in pain?  Could I love again?  Do I want to?  Would anyone want to love me?  If someone did, could I fully love them?  Would I want to?  Does it matter?_

As they plodded along, the river nearer and nearer to their muddy path.  The roar grew louder drowning out the sound of the thunder and muting the rain.  Blizzard snorted nervously, shaking his head and spraying rainwater everywhere.  Bobby patted Blizzard's shoulder silently before urging him on with his knees.  The others were talking, shouting actually, about something but Bobby paid it no mind.

            _Does it all really matter in the end?  What I do, what I think, what I feel, what I know, does it matter?  Does it matter?  To them?  To me?  Should it matter?  If it doesn't, why does it hurt?  Why won't it stop?  Why won't this pain end?_

Bobby sank lower.  The ground rose higher.  Blizzard bucked.  Someone screamed.  Shades of gray blurred and bled.  Time sped up.  Time slowed down.  Sound faded to a distant muffled roar.  Cold beyond cold dug icy talons into his flesh and pulled him down and away.  For a brief eternity invisible fingers clung to him, tried to pull him back, but it was all in vain.  The storm inflamed Mosel refused to let him go.

            _Why won't it just end already?_


	20. Nightcrawler Found

***Chapter 19***

**~Nightcrawler Found~**

            It was dark, quiet, and very cold.  That's all he knew.  He didn't know where he was or how he got there, but that didn't matter.  He couldn't quite remember his name either, he knew he had one, but at the moment, it eluded him.  Actually, he didn't remember anything; it was just outside of his reach.  But that didn't really bother him.  What did bother was the darkness and the cold and he couldn't feel anything either.

            Then he became dimly aware of a light.  At least he thought it was a light.  The pale gray shadow slowly flickered and grew in his private sea of darkness and he imagined that he felt a faint warmth radiating from it.  After an immeasurable stretch of time, he became aware of his body again.  He felt numb, but at least he felt something.  Sometime later, he remembered his name.  Robert Drake, Bobby, the Iceman, one of the Cursed.

            Now that he knew who he was, he began to wonder where he was exactly.  The first place he remembered was a one-room, dirt-floored hut situated near the edge of a small village of about fifteen families.  The space around the hut was littered with scraps of wood used to fashion chairs, tables, and carts.  After much thought he decided this wasn't where he was, he had left his home village years before.

            The next place that came to mind was a massive stone manor that stood alone on a moor.  It was made of cold gray granite and pale limestone.  Some sections of its walls were covered with creeping vines and ivy.  He remembered long twisting hallways, high cavernous halls, and many, many different rooms.  A long line of faces rushed through his memory, men and women, boys and girls.  One beautiful young woman stood out to him, though he couldn't recall why or what her name was.  He thought hard about this place but decided he wasn't there either, he remembered leaving a few months ago to find something.

            The next few places he remembered blurred together so he must not have been in those places for very long.  A boat, French villages, Paris, more French villages, and flashes of forest in-between each one.  Four faces from the stone manor followed him through this journey and a fifth joined from Paris.  One of those faces happened to be that one special girl.  He thought harder about these people trying to remember them for they seemed important to him, that one girl in particular.

            An eternity later a word, no a name, came to him.  Kitty.  An invisible damn shattered and a flood of memories overwhelmed him.  And with the memories came the pain.  Every time he had sought her company, her favor, she rejected him and it hurt every time.  Still he persisted, driven by his feelings for her and hope that someday she would feel the same.  He would still be trying if not for her revealing that she was already married to some one else.  And that revelation had hurt the most of all.

            Bobby slowly curled his numb body in on itself, squeezing his eyes shut tight against the waves of pain.  He would not cry.  No matter how much it hurt he refused to give in to the childish urge to cry.  His raw throat already swollen tightened further and an invisible weight settled on his chest stealing away his breath and still he fought off the sobs buried deep inside.  He hated himself for being so weak, so pathetic, that his own pain and grief could immobilize him this way.  And he hated her for being so beautiful and perfect, for leading him on and then hurting him so.

            Bobby froze.  _Do I really hate her?  His tense body slowly relaxed.  No he didn't.  Even now, despite it all, he couldn't bring himself to hate her.  With a deep shuddering sigh, Bobby finally attempted to open his eyes to discover his fate.  First, firelight blinded his unfocused eyes.  Then, when his vision adjusted to the glare, the water of unshed tears kept him blind to his surroundings.  After he blinked them away and his sight came into focus he saw something most unexpected._

            There, across the small campfire from him, was a genuine demon.  There was no way that it could possibly be anything else.  Its form was vaguely similar to a man's though its crouch suggested an animal.  It wore human clothes, but they were obviously modified for the long, flexible, whip-like devil tail that he saw writhing behind it.  The thing was covered from head to toe to demon tail in fur similar to Lord McCoy's only it was shorter and almost indigo in color.  The creature, while not having actual hooves, had cloven feet and hands, if they were hands, that were not covered by any sort of shoe or glove.  The demon's face would've looked very much like a man's if it hadn't been covered in that indigo-bluish fur.  A pair of pointed, almost elf-like ears poked up out of its long-ish blue-black hair and a sharp, bone-white fang curved out over its lower lip.  But the most terrifying feature of the demon before him was its eyes.  They glowed an inhuman amber-gold as they bored straight into his soul.  Bobby could only think of one explanation for what he was seeing.

            "Oh God, I'm in Hell."

***

            The Cursed individual who Bobby mistook for a demon was irritated.  He had gone to all this trouble to save this young stranger's life and he thought he'd died and gone to Hell.  True his appearance gave most people the idea that he was _from _Hell, but this was the first time someone thought that they were suddenly now _in Hell.  Really, if he was in Hell he wouldn't have been blissfully unconscious for so long, the instant he arrived there he would've been put through some unending torture that somehow connected to whatever sins he committed while alive.  He stupid was this boy anyway?_

            Then he realized something.  The boy had spoken in English.  Last he knew he was in _das __Saarland__, part of the Germanic States where __Deutsch was the spoken language.  So what was an English speaker doing all the way out here?  And what on Earth had he been doing in the Mosel?  Both were very good questions, but should he ask them first or correct him as to his current location?  Seeing the boy's sad, resigned look he decided on the latter course of action._

            "No, you aren't in Hell, you are in _das __Saarland__."  He stated, internally wincing at how strong his Germanic accent sounded to his own ears._

            "You speak English?"  The English boy asked disbelievingly.

            "Yes, I do."  The Cursed German calmly confirmed.  The English boy could only stare blankly back at him in shock as his mind slowly wrapped around this concept.  He didn't seem to be succeeding.  "Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's rude to stare?"  He growled, hoping to jar the English boy out of his shocked stupor.

            "Oh, uh, s-sorry."  The English boy stammered looking very embarrassed.  "So...are you Cursed?"  The boy nervously asked.

            "_Ja, yes I am."  The German replied.  He was surprised; no one had ever thought to ask him that.  In fact, few who ever saw him thought to ask him anything, they usually just screamed and ran away.  This boy's reaction made him wonder.  "Are you Cursed?"  He asked curiously._

            "Yes I am."  The English boy replied almost cheerfully.

            "So _Junge, what is your name?"  The Cursed German asked politely._

            "Robert Drake, but most call me Bobby or Iceman."  The English boy, Bobby, responded.

            "Iceman?"  The German asked.

            "Just a little nickname I came up with for myself.  It fits me perfectly because I control ice."  Bobby proudly replied.

            "_Sehr interessant.  If I may ask, what is a nice Cursed English boy like you doing alone and so far away from home?"  The German demon wondered._

            "I'm not alone, or at least I wasn't."  Bobby mumbled quietly.  "And I'm here looking for something."  He added carefully.

            "What are you looking for?"  The false demon inquired.

            "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you more than that."  Bobby nervously answered after a moment of thought.  "What's your name?"  Iceman asked before the blue-furred demon could press him further on the subject.

            This particular question put the German demon in something of a bind.  It was very dangerous for him to reveal his name to anyone for if the wrong people learned of him, he and those who knew him would be doomed.  But if he didn't tell Bobby his name how could they talk to each other effectively?  Yes it was a very complicated problem indeed.

            "You don't want to tell me do you."  Bobby stated.

            "No I don't."  The German sighed.  

            "That's alright, I think I understand."  Bobby replied.  They sat in silence gazing into the flickering campfire.  Then Bobby appeared to get an idea.  "I know, I'll give you a nickname!"  He exclaimed.  "May I?"  Bobby asked as an after thought.

            "Sure, why not?"  The German replied.  Bobby nodded to himself and began to study the false demon intently.  After many uncomfortable minutes he seemed to have come to a decision.

            "After much thinking I believe I have found a solution."  Iceman declared.  After a moment's pause to add dramatic effect he continued.  "I dub thee Nightcrawler!"  He enthusiastically exclaimed.

            "Nightcrawler?"  _Where did that come from?  _The German wondered.

            "Yes, you look like something that crawled out of a nightmare hence the name Nightcrawler."  Bobby proudly explained.  "Uh, no offense intended."  He hastily added after noticing the demon's blank expression.

            "None taken."  Nightcrawler replied reassuringly.

            They lapsed into silence again, staring into the fire and mulling over their own thoughts.  The newly dubbed Nightcrawler considered his next move.  He'd already taken a huge risk in pulling Bobby's half-frozen body from the Mosel's bank and warming him by the fire.  Now that the boy was conscious what should he do about him?  Could he afford to risk helping him any further?  Or should he find the next best opportunity to slip away and leave the boy to his own devices?  Then he remembered something.

            "You said that you weren't alone, who else is there?"  Nightcrawler asked startling the boy who sat across from him.

            "Oh, uh, five others."  Iceman quickly answered.

            "Could you tell me about them?"  Nightcrawler inquired.

            "Well there's Remy Lebeau, he's a Cursed thief we met in Paris and joined up with us when we got him into trouble.  There's Logan, a Cursed man with no past and magicked star metal claws.  Piotr is a Cursed Russian soldier who get very lost a while back.  Jean is a Cursed mind-witch who left her family behind to come with us.  And...and then there's Kitty."  Bobby's voice caught as he mentioned the last name and his mood fell considerably.  

            "How do you plan to meet up with these friends of yours again?"  Nightcrawler asked.

            "I don't know.  I guess I'll just walk back upstream and see what I can find."  Bobby despondently sighed.

            There was a lot going on here that Nightcrawler knew nothing about and he found it more than a little worrying.  But at the same time it was also very intriguing.  It had been a long time since he met anyone who was half as interesting as Bobby and his mysterious little group.  True he would be taking a huge risk if he helped this boy any more but he had been so lonely and bored for so long it was more than worth it.  Not to mention it was the nice thing to do.

            "Would you like me to help you?"  Nightcrawler offered.  This caught Bobby's attention.

            "You'll help me find my friends?"  Iceman asked.

            "Yes, I've nothing better to do."  Nightcrawler answered.

            "Really?"  Bobby half-whispered.  Nightcrawler nodded.  Yes he would help this poor lost English boy find his friends.  As he said he had nothing better to do at the moment and it promised to be something of an adventure.  And an adventure sounded pretty good to him right now...


	21. Reunion

***Chapter 20***

**~****Reunion****~**

            The sun shone high in the sky unblocked by the gray rain clouds, which had held it prisoner for so long.  Birds sang in cheerful celebration of the now wondrous weather as they stretched their wings.  The forest was alive with all manner of small creatures from mice and moles, to boars and deer.  Flowers were blooming wide adding color and fragrance to the once drab and damp woods.  The rains, which had soaked the area for over a week, were gone and now all life was awake again and rejoicing.  Well, almost all life.

            Kitty slumped numbly in Phantom's saddle ignorant of the cheery forest around her.  Bobby was gone forever, and it was all her fault.  No matter what anyone said to her, it was all her fault.  That stupid boy just had to go and fall in love with her and left her no choice but to break his heart.   The broken-hearted boy had stood no chance against the storm-swollen river and he had been swept away to his death.  Yesterday there had been some hope for him, they'd found his horse Blizzard muddy and bruised but alive resting on the bank, but after several hours of searching what little hope there had been died.  Bobby was gone and he wasn't coming back ever.

            Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Piotr ride up beside her.  The gentle Russian had tried his best to comfort her, everyone had, but it did no good.  She remained trapped under a dark cloud of melancholy, the whole group did, but each was separate from the other.  All were stuck wondering if they had only seen it coming, moved a little bit faster, done _something_ different that maybe, just maybe they could've saved him.  Logan spent all his spare time brooding and slicing up trees.  Remy sharpened his many daggers and charged and exploded small sticks, pinecones, and acorns.  Piotr gazed blankly at the sky and, when he wasn't trying to cheer her up, he was with his horse.  Jean was nearly as bad as Kitty; she sat in silence and said not a word unless she had too.  She was Bobby's best chance when he fell in the river, but her will was no match for the river and he had been torn violently from her grasp.

            Kitty aimlessly toyed with Phantom's reins as they rode along the winding forest trail heading towards Karlsruhe, their next stop since they'd missed Saarbrücken during the week of endless rain.  The trail twisted again and once more brought them to the banks of the accursed river.  As they rode along its banks, Kitty glared hatefully at it.  This massive, cold, dark, shimmering thing had taken him away from them.  She may not have loved Bobby the he had wished she had, but that didn't mean she hadn't held some affection for him.  His cheerful personality and whimsically romantic stories always brightened her day.  But this cold watery beast that flowed so placidly along the trail had stolen him from her, from them all, and even the brightest days now became dim to her.  The reins she had been fiddling with now creaked in her white-knuckle grip.  

            _Damn this quest!  If we hadn't been out here when we were then this wouldn't have happened!  _Kitty mentally raged.  If she'd never volunteered to go, then Bobby wouldn't have felt the urge to follow.  If Jean hadn't pressured her to talk at the time she did, then Bobby wouldn't have known, wouldn't have been hurt so and had more of a chance to survive.  If only it hadn't rained.  If only they hadn't reached that part of the trail.  If only the bank had held firm just a little bit longer.  If only Jean could've held on to him.  If only, if only, if only.

            _But what if I'd told him sooner?  _This thought brought only more agony.  If she'd told him earlier, before they'd left, he wouldn't have followed.  He would be far away, but alive.  If she'd told him as soon as they met, he wouldn't have been so utterly destroyed by the truth.  Perhaps they could've become friends the way she wished.  Who know what kind of fun they could've had together.  While she had always frowned upon his immature pranks, they still made her laugh.  His escapades and misadventures with other girls may have angered her, but they were quite amusing to look back on later.  Oh how different it all could've been.

            _Could I have told him sooner?  Could I have found the strength to tell him?  To tell any of them?  Could I have?  _No, she couldn't have.  Even now the wound on her soul still bled.  Her heart clenched and ached and her eyes stung with a sea of unshed tears, but not a single one was allowed to fall.  The pain of her past life added an immeasurable weight of grief to her current sorrows.  The icy wind of loneliness howled through her insides leaving her extremities unfeeling and numb.  No there was no way she could've forced herself to reveal her secrets against such pain to anyone.  Until she knew the truth of things, her pain would never fully cease.

            _Why?  Why did he leave me?  Why did they both leave me?  What did I do wrong?  What did I do to deserve this?  Is it my fate to lose all those I come to care for?  First my family, then my husband, now my friend.  Will the rest of my friends be next?_

***

            _Gott, does this boy ever shut up?  _Nightcrawler wondered grouchily.  The past two days that he had been traveling with the lost English boy the boy had yet to stop talking.  True he had been quiet for the first few hours that he had met him, but that was because he was unconscious so it didn't count.  When the boy woke up he'd been a bit in shock from his terrible ordeal and Nightcrawler's frightening appearance so he'd been relatively quiet.  But now that he had become used to his guide he chattered endlessly about anything and everything under the sun.

            Beneath them, Schwarzi stirred and stomped restlessly, the mighty black stallion was unused to bearing such a talkative rider.  Nightcrawler struggled not to grind his teeth as the boy babbled on ignorant of the effect his speech had upon the horse he rode and his master.  The situation was made even more uncomfortable by the fact the Nightcrawler was forced to ride behind the boy.  If he were to sit in front, the boy would end up crushing his sensitive tail.  So that left Nightcrawler sitting in the back, a most awkward position to steer a horse from.  He could only hope they ran into Bobby's friends soon, otherwise he might do something unpleasant to their stray friend.

            "Isn't this weather wonderful?"  Bobby asked.

            "Yes."  Nightcrawler muttered.

            "Much better than it was before."  Bobby brightly commented.

            "Yes."  Nightcrawler sighed.

            "I hope it stays this nice forever."  Bobby declared.

            "Do you always talk so much?"  Nightcrawler grumbled.

            "Yes, of course, why wouldn't I?"  Bobby replied, sounding somewhat confused.

            "Because talking too much can be very annoying."  Nightcrawler grumbled.

            "It can?"  Bobby asked.

            "Yes."  Nightcrawler muttered.

            "I don't see how.  It's silence that really gets to me."  Bobby said.

            "I can see that."  Nightcrawler grumbled sourly.

            "Really?"  Bobby asked.  Before Nightcrawler replied a sound reached his ears that made him signal Schwarzi to stop.

            "Quiet."  Nightcrawler commanded.

            "What-?"  Bobby started to ask.

            "Quiet."  The German repeated.  This time Iceman fell silent.  After several moments of uncomfortable quiet the faint sound of horses slowly became audible.  Bobby started to call out, but Nightcrawler stopped him.  "They may not be who you seek.  Wait until you can see them."  Nightcrawler whispered harshly.  Bobby nervously nodded and they continued to wait in silence.  Many long minutes passed before a line of weary horses and their riders came around the bend.  Without warning Bobby jumped of Schwarzi and made a mad dash for the strangers.

            "Hey Logan!"  The stupid English boy yelled.  The short, rough looking man at the head of the line instantly froze and whipped his head around.  The whole group stopped and looked.  Then as one they urged their horses forward and encircled the boy, and even from many yards away, Nightcrawler could hear their joy.  

            Nightcrawler smiled, it seemed his job was finished.  The English chatterbox was returned safely to his companions who had missed him.  Why they missed him he could not understand.  But they all seemed happy enough now that they had their missing member back.  And since they hadn't seen him he was free to go.  Nightcrawler still was dying to know what it was these foreigners were looking for, but it was unnecessarily risky to show himself to ask them.  So without a word Nightcrawler bade Schwarzi to turn around and go back the way they had come.

            //_Stop right there whoever you are!_//  A foreign voice roared deep within his skull.  Nightcrawler froze.

            //_Who are you?_//  Nightcrawler thought back hesitantly.

            //_That is none of your concern.  Who are you?_//  The voice coldly demanded.

            //_Are you a friend of Bobby's?_//  He asked.

            //_I'm the one asking questions here, but yes, I am._//  The voice snapped.

            //_Well then ask him.  He knows who I am.  He gave me a name._//  Nightcrawler replied teasingly.  A sudden sharp pain exploded behind his eyes and he had to clench his teeth tightly to keep from crying out.

            //**_Do not toy with me!_**//  The voice shouted.  Nightcrawler stubbornly remained silent.  The voice stayed silent for some time though he sensed a foreign presence lurking around the corners of his mind.  //_Come forward so we can see you._//  The voice ordered.  When Nightcrawler was slow to act the pain briefly returned.  He turned Schwarzi around once more and left the cover of the bushes and trees so that the strangers could see him.

            //_Now are you satisfied?_//  He asked the voice as they group recoiled from him when they laid eyes upon his demonic form.  There was no reply, the presence vanished.  

            "Who are you?"  The gruff one Bobby had called Logan asked.

            "Didn't your friend tell you?"  He called back.

            "That isn't your name."  The man stated.

            "I know."  He replied.  The man glowered menacingly.  Nightcrawler only smiled.  If they tried anything he and Schwarzi would be gone in an instant and these foreigners would never find him.

            "Do you know the way to Karlsruhe?"  Logan asked suddenly, catching Nightcrawler off guard.

            "Yes I do _mein Herr._  Would you like me to lead you there?"  Nightcrawler asked nervously, half-hoping the man would say no.

            "That would be most kind of you."  The gruff man replied 'politely'.

            "Then if that is what you wish of me I shall."  Nightcrawler courteously replied.  "This way."  He called and sent Schwarzi of a narrow branch of the forest path in the direction of Karlsruhe.  _Isn't this a fine mess I've gotten myself into?_  Nightcrawler mused._  Well, nothing to do now but lead them to the town and leave them be.  Then I can go home..._


	22. Ghosts

***Chapter 21***

**~Ghosts~**

            Nightcrawler found himself caught between the figurative 'rock and hard place'.  If he continued on leading this group of foreigners he could put himself in serious jeopardy, it wasn't particularly safe or smart for a person who strongly resembles the devil to be walking around were people might see.  If he tried to sneak off he feared what these mysterious Cursed foreigners might do to him, one had already entered his mind and feared what the others could do.  So he was stuck.  

            Nightcrawler sighed; he was going to be in so much trouble when he finally got home.  He was already long overdue to return but one thing had led to another and he saw no easy way out.  He squinted as the setting sun's rays pierced through the trees and blinded his eyes.  Soon it would get too dark for most people to be able to see.  Nightcrawler, however, could see in the dark fine so long as the moon was visible and he could easily ride all night if necessary.  A grunt from behind made him turn around to see what was going on.

            "It's getting late, we're stopping."  Logan commanded.

            "_Jawohl!_"  Nightcrawler replied.  

            With a gentle pull on the reins, he sent Schwarzi off the trail and into a nearby clearing.  Nightcrawler jumped out of Schwarzi's saddle and stretched his stiff joints and sore muscles.  He then led Schwarzi to the far side of the clearing and tied him to a tree before removing his saddle and packs.  Schwarzi snorted gratefully for the removal of his load and shook himself out.  With that done, Nightcrawler turned to leave only to find that almost everyone else was ready to hand over the reins of their horses to him.  After receiving a glare from Logan, Nightcrawler reluctantly took care of all the horses, well almost all the horses.  

            One woman, the younger looking one with brown hair, took care of her horse herself.  She kept her grayish mare further away from the other horses and after taking care of her she left and sat off by herself.  The others would look in her direction sometimes but then quickly turn away and go about their business.  Nightcrawler found this both strange and interesting, when he had first returned their missing member they'd seemed to be a strong united group, but now he could see that wasn't entirely true.  When he finished with this last horse, he'd go ask Bobby about it.

            "Bobby, may I ask you a few things?"  Nightcrawler asked after cornering the young English boy slightly apart from his friends.

            "Certainly, what do you want to know?"  Bobby happily replied.

            "Could you identify your friends for me?"  Nightcrawler politely asked.  It looked like he was going to be stuck with these people for a while so it would be helpful to know who was who.

            "Well you know who I am and you know who Logan is right?"  Bobby asked, the German nodded.  "Over there by the fire is Piotr."  Bobby said pointing to a tall, muscular man with dark hair.  "Over by the trees is Remy."  He said indicating a shady looking man with red-black eyes and a sharp looking dagger in his hand.  "Over by the food is Jean."  Bobby said showing him the other woman of the group.  "And-and over there is-is Kitty."  Bobby said quietly, his voice catching on some of the words as he referred to the girl who sparked the German's curiosity.  

            "Why is no one talking to this Kitty girl?"  Nightcrawler asked curiously.

            "It's sort of a long story."  Bobby replied sadly.

            "I have plenty of time."  Nightcrawler answered.

            "I don't."  Bobby sharply replied before suddenly stalking off to collect some spare firewood.  Nightcrawler blinked, that was sudden.  Well if Bobby wouldn't answer him, he'd just ask the girl himself.  With a few quick hops, he perched on a tree stump next to her and flashed a bright smile.

            "_Guten Abend Fräulein!  _How are you this evening?"  Nightcrawler asked pouring on the charm.  She gave him a withering sideways glance.  "What's the matter _Fräulein?  _Is something wrong?"  He innocently asked.

            "Leave me alone."  She growled.

            "Why?  I need someone to talk to here since Bobby decided to run off on me and you aren't busy."  Nightcrawler replied.

            "There are five other people here, talk to one of them."  She snapped.

            "But I don't want to talk to them, I want to talk to you."  Nightcrawler complained.

            "Why me?"  She muttered irately.

            "Because you interest me."  He replied.

            "What's so interesting about me?"  She grumbled.

            "You're an attractive young woman who's sitting all by herself and nobody seems willing to talk to you and I want to know why."  Nightcrawler explained.

            "It's none of your business."  She hissed threateningly.

            "Well it's either tell me that, or tell me why a bunch of _Engländer _like you are doing way out here."  Nightcrawler countered.

            "That's none of your business either."  She snapped.

            "Tell me one or the other or I won't leave you alone until you do."  Nightcrawler declared.  

            She finally turned to fully face him and gave him a venomous glare that could make even Logan flinch a little.  Nightcrawler, however, could only stare in shock.  Her eyes, her angry, blue, beautiful, eyes.  He knew them.  _He knew _**her.**  What was she doing here?  Why was she sad?  Why was she upset?  Did Bobby do it?  If he did then he was in for a world of pain.  Or was it someone else's fault?  His stare must've unnerved her because she looked away and started to stand.

            "W-wait!  Please tell my why you're so upset."  Nightcrawler begged.

            "Why should I tell you?"  She snapped.

            "Because the curiosity is killing me and perhaps it might help you feel better if you spoke of it with someone."  Nightcrawler suggested.  

            "What was the staring for?"  She asked suspiciously.

            "Well, it's, um, it's just that you remind me of someone I knew once."  He hesitantly replied.

            "Really, who?"  She asked.

            "Er, wait!  You're trying to change the subject on me aren't you?"  Nightcrawler demanded.  The woman remained silent until his patient stare once again proved to be too much for her to stand.

            "Fine if you really wish to know I was forced to divulge very sensitive personal information under pressure and I'm still upset about it."  She snapped angrily.  Nightcrawler looked confused.

            "But aren't these people good friends of yours?  Shouldn't they know almost everything about you?"  He asked.  All the woman's anger seemed to melt away in an instant.

            "Yes, I should've told them sooner.  I wish I had the strength to tell them."  She whispered to herself.  Nightcrawler's confusion grew.

            "You felt you weren't strong enough to tell them whatever it was that you hid from them?  What could possibly be so bad that a strong woman such as yourself felt she couldn't tell those who she trusts and cares for the truth?"  He asked.  The woman jerked in surprise.  Apparently she didn't think his hearing was sharp enough to hear what she said.

            "What makes you think that I'm strong?"  She asked after a moment.

            "Well for one, you're far from home.  And for another, you're one of two women among a group of men who are all far from home.  Not many women can travel the way that you are."  He replied.  

            "It's really not that hard for me, I'm used to being alone now."  She said softly.  Nightcrawler visibly flinched.

            "But you're not alone; your friends are here too."  Nightcrawler protested.

            "I might as well be.  They don't understand."  She muttered.

            "Maybe they don't understand, but how can they if you refuse to speak with them?"  He challenged.

            "Who are you to tell me what I should do!  I've only just met you!  You know nothing about me!"  She snarled.  Nightcrawler shifted nervously.

            "True, you have only just met me, but I wish to become your friend and help you in any way that I am able.  I may know nothing about you now but I can learn so that I might be of better service to you _Fräulein._"  Nightcrawler quietly replied, looking up at her with hopeful eyes.

            "I will think on your offer and what you have said to me.  Leave me now, I wish to be alone for a while."  She mumbled waving him off with one hand.

            Nightcrawler obediently abandoned his perch on the tree stump and moved across the campsite from her.  He curled up against the trunk of a tree and observed the woman Bobby called Kitty from the corner of his glowing, golden eye.  She was so very beautiful and at the same time so sad and hurt, if only he could make it all better.  But there was nothing that he could do, nothing but lie and be her friend.  She did not know him in this form and he would keep it that way, his truth would only bring her more pain.

***

            Kitty shivered and rubbed her arm nervously.  Their new guide Nightcrawler put her on edge.  First he comes up to her oozing charm and self-confidence and tries to weasel information out of her.  But the instant he got a good look at her face he immediately changed into someone else, someone familiar.  He suddenly behaved almost as if he already knew her, acting quite kind and concerned for her well-being.  And he acted as if he was hiding something from her, well besides his name of course.  The way he looked at her and the way he treated her made her feel slightly uncomfortable.  Then there was the last thing he'd said to her, the way he'd said it made her think of a servant seeking it's master's favor.  And finally his eyes, they really bothered her.  It wasn't because they glowed or were golden-yellow in color, but that they reminded her of someone else.  His eyes brought up ghosts of memory that, even now that he was gone, danced in the shadows of her mind.


	23. Playing With Swords

***Chapter 22***

**~Playing With Swords~**

            The sun was barely more than a pale gray glow on the horizon when Kitty rose from her slumber.  Normally she was not one to wake up early, but this morning was a rare exception.  The young woman stealthily stood from her sleeping spot, a mossy hollow at the base of a tree, and phased her hand through her pack to avoid unnecessary noise.  When she found what she was looking for, she padded out of the campsite a few inches off the ground without a sound.  When she was phased, she was completely silent and gave off no scent; she truly was a phantom girl.  With no sound or scent to alert him, Logan, the only one who might catch her, would remain ignorant to her disappearance, which is just how she wanted it.

            Kitty only stopped when she found a clearing that was far enough away from the others so she wouldn't wake them and large enough for her purpose.  She first began to twist, flex, and stretch every muscle and joint in her body to shake off the stiffness of sleep.  With one final joint-popping stretch, Kitty took a few slow deep breaths to steady her nerves and calm her mind.  She reached down at her waist and firmly grasped the handle of her precious sword.  With a smooth motion and a faint hiss of steel, she drew her deceptively delicate looking blade from its subtly ornate scabbard.  She held the distinctly feminine weapon before her gripping it tightly with both hands as she stood perfectly still.  She gazed wordless at her narrow reflection that rested in the mirror-like surface of her sword.

            At some silent, internal signal, Kitty abruptly snapped into motion.  Her sword faintly hummed as it sliced through the quiet pre-dawn air.  Her body was a graceful blur of carefully controlled movement as she danced through the mottled forest shadows.  Kitty easily traced through the practice sets that Logan had taught her without any real thought.  The first weak rays of sunshine slipped through gaps in the forest canopy and reflected off her blade, giving it a flickering, ethereal glow.  A small unconscious smirk slowly formed on her otherwise expressionless face while her swings and thrusts grew increasingly elaborate.  Kitty generally abhorred practicing things, especially when she was just beginning or had managed to master something, but sword practice was different.

            Kitty _loved _to practice with her sword.  The swift and potentially lethal movements always made her feel strangely alive no matter what her mood or state of mind was at the time.  Whenever she felt overwhelmed by some dark emotion, she would seek peace in her sword.  And sometimes when she buried herself in the motions, she found the focus she needed to think through things that troubled her.  This is exactly what she was doing now, seeking a sense of calm that had been missing since her forced revelations.  Jean had almost single-handedly destroyed her second try at live by completely releasing the ghosts of her past life that haunted her.  Then Bobby's apparent death had further crushed the broken shards of her fragile happiness.  When Bobby 'returned from the grave' so to speak she had been overjoyed at first, just like everyone else.  But not long after that, Bobby's supposed savior began to add to her internal turmoil.

            Kitty's movements, which so far had been nearly flawless, inexplicably swung out of sync.  She overcompensated during a particularly complex strike and most ungracefully collapsed on her backside.  She suppressed a growl of frustration as she jerkily wiped a few sweaty strands of hair from her face.  The golden-eyed demon had come out of nowhere and turned her already tumultuous life upside-down.  He was a complete stranger and yet all of his behavior that she had seen so far reminded her of another person, another lifetime.  The way he'd spoken to her, the way he'd looked at her with his glowing yellow eyes, had been familiar but at the same time unfamiliar.  She had only just met him last night, but Kitty somehow got the impression that he was hiding far more than his name from her.

            With another quiet growl, Kitty picked herself up off the ground and dusted off her rumpled skirt.  She readjusted her now damp hair into a fresh ponytail tightly secured by a well-worn hair ribbon.  A deep, shaky sigh escaped her lips as she prepared to begin again.  A look of fierce determination settled in her lustrous, bright blue eyes, she would finish this no matter long it took.  She brought her sword up in front of herself and sliced it through the opening strokes of her last move.  But when she hit that one critical point, she again lost focus and fell once more.  Kitty stood and tried again and again, but every time she failed.  By about her fifth or sixth fall she lost her temper and broke out in a wild flurry of random slashes and thrusts.  After many minutes of berserker hacking and slashing she ran out of breath and let the tip of her blade rest in the forest's leafy floor.

            "I sense some hostility here."  A male voice with a thick Germanic accent purred.  Kitty whirled around with her sword on guard to be confronted by a pair of glittering golden eyes.

            "Nightcrawler?"  She gasped out in confusion before she could regain her composure.

            "Of course, who else would it be?"  The Germanic demon replied as he strolled out of the shadows and into the lighter clearing.  Kitty glared furiously at him.

            "What are you doing here?"  She growled.

            "Watching."  He simply replied.  "What are _you _doing?"

            "Practicing, or at least I was trying to."  Kitty grumbled.

            "That's what I though.  You were doing quite well until that last maneuver.  Funny how a tiny mistake in balance can cause such a spectacular fall, don't you think?"  Nightcrawler teasingly asked.  Kitty's eyes blazed with fury.

            "I'd like to see you do better!"  She snapped.  The German studied her closely for a minute before a curious spark appeared in his unnatural golden eyes.

            "Sure, I'll give it a try."  Nightcrawler replied with a strange impish grin.

            The German reached up and behind his right shoulder and wrapped his three-digit hand around some object she couldn't quite see.  There was a rasping  of steel against metal and leather and Nightcrawler produced a sword of his own from a scabbard that was slung over his back.  His sword was slightly longer and an inch or so wider than hers was.  Despite its simple design, the blade was obviously of a very high quality, certainly nothing that could be found lying around.  With a few showy swipes that made the air hum and hiss, he began.  Nightcrawler performed a perfect imitation of her earlier motions all the way up to the point where she hit trouble.  With a few swift, graceful strokes, he surpassed her and ended on a powerful downward stroke that could easily slice open an opponent's skull.  It didn't matter that that was the wrong way to end it, he hadn't seen her finish so he'd had to improvise, and he had outdone her.

            "How come I didn't see that sword earlier?"  Kitty asked, redirecting his attention away from his small victory.

            "It was put away before, I had no need for it."  He smugly replied.  Kitty struggled not to grind her teeth together at his cocky smile.

            "May I ask where one such as yourself acquire such a fine sword?"  Kitty asked with forced politeness.  For the briefest of moments, she fancied she saw a flash of fear dart over his features, but when she blinked, his expression was once more cocky and victorious.

            "I could ask you the very same question _Fräulein._"  He purred back.  Kitty couldn't help but snarl, she had not even known him two days yet and already she found him utterly infuriating.

              
            "Where I got this blade is none of your concern!"  She snapped back acidly.  She'd had enough of the blue-furred imp and turned back towards the camp.

            "You say you were out here to practice _Fräulein.  _Can you remind me what the best form of sword practice is?"  He called out to her retreating back.  She paused.

            "The most effective form of sword practice has always been a spar between two sword-wielders."  Kitty answered back like any good student would respond to their teacher.

            "Yes, I remember now.  A spar between two worthy warriors is truly the best way to practice.  Perhaps I may be of service to you _Fräulein._"  Nightcrawler quietly suggested.

            "Oh really?"  Kitty asked sarcastically as she turned back around to face him.

            "_Ja, _I am skilled with the sword so I could serve you as a sparring partner."  The Cursed German brightly offered.

            "I think not."  Kitty snorted as she made to leave once more.

            "Do you not trust me _Fräulein_?"  He sadly asked.  "Or, is it that you fear that you can never hope to match my superior skill with the sword, let alone defeat me?"  Nightcrawler challenged, his voice dripping with smug overconfidence.  Kitty saw red.

            "I'm not afraid!"  She snarled coldly, pinning the unfortunate young man with an icy glare.

            "Oh?  Prove it."  He calmly challenged.

            "Fine, I will!"  Kitty hissed.  "We'll see how cocky you are tomorrow morning!"  She threatened.  Nightcrawler only smiled.

            "I look forward to it _Fräulein._"  He purred.

            Kitty's eyes flashed dangerously but she held her tongue.  Without another word, she sheathed her sword with a rasp and a click and stalked off to rejoin the group.  Another rasp and click meant that Nightcrawler had put his sword away as well, but she did not look back.  She angrily pushed her way through the entangling undergrowth, sometimes getting caught so badly that she had to phase herself free.  _How dare he!  How dare that bastard challenge me that way!  God damn him to Hell!  _She thought venomously.  _He thinks that he is so great with that shiny sword of his.  Well I'll show him!_

***

            Nightcrawler smiled faintly from his perch high in an evergreen tree.  She looked so young and child-like when she got angry.  He watched silently as she freed herself form another clump of twisted bushes before leaping to the next tree.  His smile grew slightly, she was so mad that she had yet to notice him as he followed her by tree.  She had only to look up and she could easily see him, but she hadn't done that yet.  Every few yards Kitty went, he leapt to another tree so that she did not slip out of his sight.  He almost felt guilty for making her so mad, but it had been so much fun.  A wicked grin appeared on his face as he recalled the furious looks she'd sent him as he goaded her into fighting him.  He chuckled quietly, he couldn't wait until tomorrow morning.

            When Kitty reached the edge of the camp, he stealthily slunk away.  He very carefully crawled along tree branches as he made his way back to the tree he'd spent the night in.  Once there, he removed his sword from his back and wrapped it in a rough burlap cloth.  He buried the wrapped sword deep in his pack to avoid the others discovering it and settled down on his branch to wait.  His long thin tail swung back and forth like a clock's pendulum as he listened to the _Engländer_'s conversation.  They all seemed quite upset with her for leaving without telling them.  Kitty calmly assured them that she was perfectly fine and that they shouldn't have worried about her.  Then the group began to get excited because she was speaking to them all again.  This of course quickly shut Kitty up and the discussion swiftly floundered.

            "Well can you please at least promise us not to go off on your own without warning us?"  Nightcrawler heard the red-haired Jean ask.  Kitty must've shook her head no because of what he heard next.  "Why not Kitty?  You had us all so worried earlier when we woke up to find you missing.  We feared that some friend might've magicked you away while we slept."  Jean protested.

            "I wasn't worried."  Logan's gruff voice interrupted.

            "What?  Why not!"  Bobby demanded.

            "Because she wasn't alone."  Logan replied.  Nightcrawler blinked.

            "Who went with her?"  A deep accented voice asked.  The accent wasn't French so Nightcrawler knew it had to be the Russian Piotr.

            "That German went with her."  The feral man answered.

            "Did you know that he followed you?"  Bobby asked Kitty.

            "Not at first."  Kitty reluctantly muttered in a voice so quiet Nightcrawler had to strain to hear.

            "But you did realize he was there, right?"  Jean asked.

            "Yes."  She growled.

            "Did he scare you?"  Bobby asked curiously.  Kitty only snarled in response.  Nightcrawler decided that it might be better for him to add to the conversation instead of just listening to it.  He quietly  dropped from the tree to see that Kitty's hand was gripping her sword so tightly that her whole hand had gone white.  _He really doesn't know when to quit does he._

"I only startled her a little."  He called out to them, making them all start in surprise.

            "Will you stop doing that!"  Kitty hissed furiously. 

            "Stop doing what?"  Nightcrawler innocently asked.

            "You know perfectly well what!"  Kitty snapped.

            "No, what did I do wrong?"  He asked confusedly.

            "Stop appearing out of nowhere!"  Kitty half-yelled.

            "But I didn't appear out of nowhere, I was sitting in a tree."  Nightcrawler replied.  Kitty glared darkly at him before stomping off to restart the burned out campfire.  For a moment there was silence as the sun crested the treetops and birds began to sing.

            "You know, I think Nightcrawler makes her angrier than I do."  Bobby declared.  No one disagreed.


	24. Clash of Steel

**Chapter 23**

**Clash of Steel**

****

****

****

Nightcrawler gazed up at what he could see of the early morning sky. The black blanket of night had faded to a misty gray and the millions of tiny silver stars had all but vanished. The night insects continued to chirp as they knew all the birds, which feasted upon them, were still sleeping. A faint sound, perhaps a distant owl's cry, whispered into the demonic young man's blue pointed ear. The light was so faint that no colors were visible except for two glittering points of golden-yellow, Nightcrawler's eyes. The Cursed German sighed silently as the last few stars winked out of existence before the ponderous arrival of the mighty sun. Morning was very near now.

When the sun crested the gray horizon, it would be morning and it would be time to fight Lady Katharine. His mouth quirked into a weak half-smile as he remembered how he had gotten her to agree to fight with him. The previous morning he had told her that he looked forward to their little battle and he meant it. He'd been so excited that he'd had trouble sleeping last night and now he was completely awake far earlier than he needed to be. His tail was firmly clenched around the branch that he was resting on so that it wouldn't thrash around and disturb the others. His three fingered hands tightly gripped the handle of his sword in eager anticipation of the upcoming fight. If she was as good at actual combat as she was at performing practice sets, then she might prove to be a real challenge.

A bird began its early morning song and Nightcrawler had had enough with waiting. He dropped out of the tree with barely a sound and scampered a few feet over to where Kitty had spent the night. She was still fast asleep. Nightcrawler paused; this could be a serious problem. Unless Kitty woke up early on her own, it was difficult to wake her and she was always in a sour mood. But if he didn't wake her up now the others would wake and begin making breakfast before they moved on. So what should he do? Let her sleep and miss their little duel, or wake her up now and suffer her sleepy wrath? Nightcrawler crouched down in front of her sleeping from and rested his sheathed sword against his shoulder as he considered his options. He would wake her.

Nightcrawler leaned forward, grasped her shoulder with one hand, and gave her a gentle shake. She groaned a little and turned on her side, but she didn't awaken. He sighed and tried once more with the same result. He moved a bit closer and tried poking her. There was still no response. He tried tickling her exposed arm, but, aside from a small sleepy smile, there was no sign of her waking up anytime soon. Nightcrawler frowned, this wasn't getting him anywhere. He tried shaking her harder again but she still stubbornly clung to sleep. The German snaked his talented tail around to poke and tickle her while he shook her shoulder yet again. Her eyelids flickered and he thought that she might finally be rousing, but she only sighed and settled deeper into her sleeping blanket. Nightcrawler clenched his teeth in frustration and tried not to growl. On impulse, he tried one last thing; he leaned in closer still and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Kitty began to stir again.

"Kurt?" She mumbled sleepily. Nightcrawler's eyes grew wide and his face burned. _Did she just say-? _Kitty's blue eyes slowly opened and focused on his golden ones. "What do you want?" She growled tiredly. It took several minutes for Nightcrawler to recollect his scattered thoughts.

"It's morning." He said softly.

"So what?" She grumbled.

"Do you remember what you said yesterday?" He quietly asked. Her sleep fuzzed expression darkened.

"I've changed my mind, go away." Kitty hissed.

"So you admit that I am better than you?" Nightcrawler whispered teasingly.

Kitty's sleep-fogged eyes immediately burst into flame. She stood up so suddenly that she knocked Nightcrawler onto his back. By the time the Cursed German regained his posture she had her sword belted around her waist and was waiting impatiently for him. Nightcrawler grinned wickedly, this would be fun. He slowly stood and carefully strapped his sword behind his back before calmly leading her away from the camp. He deliberately went slower than he normally would just to see how badly she would take it. By the time the orange sun no longer brushed the horizon he was certain that she was ready to slay him.

"Could you walk any slower?" She hissed sarcastically.

"_Ja, _of course I could." He brightly replied. "But I won't." He hastily added upon seeing her thunderous expression. Thankfully not long after, they came across a clearing that would serve their purpose just fine.

"Any special rules?" Nightcrawler politely asked her as he took his place at one end of the forest clearing.

"No, the basic rules should do just fine." She growled as she stretched out at the opposite side.

"Alright then, ladies first." He called out teasingly as he drew his sword.

Instead of answering, she drew her blade and rushed him head-on. If she'd been hoping to catch off guard, she was sadly mistaken. Her sword crashed solidly into his but he did not flinch. He threw back her blow and forced her on the defensive with several quick strikes before backing off slightly to allow her to recover. She retaliated with a low thrust at his legs, which he easily escaped with a small jump. She pressed forward with a slash at his midsection, which he casually blocked with a simple twist of his wrist. Kitty then tried a downward stroke aimed at his shoulder that he easily sidestepped. Nightcrawler once more switched to an all-out offensive and within five strokes sent her sword flying and had his blade tip poised to pierce her bare throat. All this occurred in barely more than a minute.

"Aw, that didn't take very long at all." Nightcrawler complained. "How about we do a best out of three?" He cheerfully suggested.

"I think that's enough for now." A gruff voice intruded.

Nightcrawler's blood turned to ice in his veins and Kitty looked similarly frozen. He slowly lowered his sword until it's sharp tip hovered less than an inch from the ground. The Cursed German very slowly turned to face the speaker who had interrupted his fun. He found not only Logan standing at the edge of their makeshift practice circle, but the rest of the group as well. A terrible feeling of foreboding settled over his soul as he saw their varied expressions. Logan's face was stony and unreadable, Remy looked mildly impressed, Piotr and Jean both looked worried, and Bobby looked furious. _What sort of mess have I gotten myself into now?_

"Explain yourselves." Logan demanded.

"He challenged me yesterday and I accepted." Kitty answered before Nightcrawler could think of a response.

"Is this true?" Logan asked the bluish demon.

"_Ja, _I wished to see how skilled she was and now I know." He nervously replied.

"Alright then, that makes sense. Now put those away and don't let me catch you sparring like that again." Logan declared before walking back to camp. The rest followed him; some were more reluctant than others.

Back at camp there was no conversation. Everyone did their own part without complaint or discussion. Kitty re-lit the fire, Jean cooked breakfast, Logan stood guard, Piotr fetched water, Bobby and Remy packed their things, and Nightcrawler tended the horses. When breakfast was ready, they all settled down to eat. A heavy oppressive silence hovered over them all as they ate their simple meal of boiled oatmeal and hard biscuits. No one spoke; they just ate and finished their preparations to leave. They wordlessly mounted their horses and formed into a line as Nightcrawler led them back to the path. As the line of horses curved out of the woods and onto the path, Nightcrawler glanced back at everyone. Their expressions remained the same as they were earlier, except for Kitty. Before she'd been embarrassed but defiant, now she looked very sad. _I'll have to fix that later..._

* * *

The sun had almost completely set by the time Logan called a halt for the night. Kitty numbly went through the motions of settling Phantom for the night, pitching camp, and eating dinner. Remy and Piotr tried to get Bobby to tell one of his famous stories but he refused so the group turned in early for the night. Kitty selected a spot furthest away from the others and curled silently up in her warm travel blanket. When the last rays of sunlight finally faded from the sky all the others were asleep, leaving Kitty awake and alone in the dark.

She'd been beaten. In less than two minutes, he had disarmed her and had his blade at her throat. Not even Logan had defeated her so quickly the first time they had fought. Did that mean that Logan had purposely gone easy on her then? Had she really improved at all? True she had learned many new techniques, but it seemed that she lacked the skill needed to use them properly in a fight. If that had been a real fight to the death, he could've slain her in an instant. And her defeat was made all the worse by what he'd said to her after the fight was over. She hadn't been much of a challenge for him at all. He'd expected more from her and she had disappointed him. Despite all that she'd learned and how hard she'd tried, she still wasn't good enough. She'd never be good enough.

"_Fräulein, _why are you still awake?" Nightcrawler whispered.

"Why are _you _still awake?" Kitty whispered back.

"I'm still awake because you are still awake." He whispered in reply. "So why are you still awake?" He asked.

"I'm just thinking, now go to sleep and leave me alone." Kitty muttered pulling her blanket over her head.

"What are you thinking about?" Nightcrawler curiously asked.

"I'm thinking about how much I want you to leave me alone." Kitty growled.

"No you're not. You've been thinking all day and you look so sad. Please tell me." Nightcrawler begged softly. Kitty peeked out from under her blanket to see the Cursed German's glowing eyes staring straight at her. How was he able to sneak so close without her noticing him?

"Will you promise to go away if I tell you?" Kitty sighed.

"Yes, I promise." He sincerely replied.

"It's silly really. I guess that I'm just a sore loser. The fact that you beat me so quickly and easily bothers me, though I know that it shouldn't." Kitty firmly answered. 

"Is that what's wrong?" Nightcrawler half-mumbled to himself.

"There, I told you, now leave." Kitty sternly commanded.

"Alright, I'm leaving. But I must say, you are the most talented female sword-wielder that I have ever had the pleasure of fighting and I hope that we might fight again sometime." The German purred as he vanished into the darkness of the night.

"But Logan forbade us from sparring." Kitty sighed.

"He only warned us not to let him catch us sparring like that again. He never expressly forbade it." Nightcrawler whispered from somewhere above her.

Kitty sighed. She really couldn't decide who was worse, Bobby or Nightcrawler. Bobby had relentlessly, single-mindedly sometimes, sought her affections. He was a foolish love-struck boy who could be quite annoying, but Kitty could easily understand him and predict his actions. Nightcrawler, however, was a true enigma. When he first entered their group, he hung around Bobby most of the time. But when he found her, he attached himself to her and rarely left her alone. He seemed to seek her affections as well, but more as a friend then a suitor. Sometimes he was kind to her, but other times he drove her near madness like he had earlier that morning. He was a stranger to her who buried his secrets deep inside and Kitty found him unpredictable and impossible to figure out. With another sigh Kitty snuggled down under her blanket. _At least we'll reach __Karlsruhe__ soon and I won't have to deal with him anymore..._


	25. Karlsruhe

**Chapter 24**

******Karlsruhe******

****

****

****

Kitty shifted restlessly in Phantom's saddle. One week had passed since Bobby's miraculous escape from death. One week since Nighcrawler became their guide to Karlsruhe. For one whole week, Kitty had suffered through not only her difficulties with her friends but she had to deal with an infuriating demon as well. The whole time Nightcrawler was guiding them he was also was her near constant shadow. When she slipped off to practice her sword, he would secretly follow. When she selected her sleeping spot for the night, he would find one as close to hers as he could manage, usually in the tree above her. When they settled down to eat or rest, he would always appear at her side. The only time he wasn't near her was when he was leading the line or either of them was relieving themselves.

However, that had changed recently. Barely five minutes previous, Nightcrawler had stopped and refused to go any farther. They were close enough to their destination that they would no longer need him. If he went any farther with them not only did he put himself at great risk, he could put them in danger too. Demons are minions of the Devil Himself and should be killed on sight. Anyone who traveled with a demon was just as bad and since Nightcrawler looked like a real demon that fate could befall them all. So Nightcrawler was forced to turn around and leave them. Now she was free of Nightcrawler forever. Kitty disguised a small smile as an innocent yawn.

The line of traveling horses exited the increasingly patchy forest and entered onto a wide grassy plain. On the horizon was what appeared to be a decent sized town that could only be Karlsruhe. With some luck and a little bit extra speed, they could make it there before nightfall. Logan urged his horse to a fast trot and led the traveling line on to the distant town. Kitty wished they could go faster, but if they did, the horses might become exhausted before they reached the town. High above the open plain a few wisps of clouds hovered high in the clear blue sky. A small flock of birds was driven to flight by the rushing band of riders.

As the sun began to touch the horizon, the town, which never seemed to get any closer finally began to grow in size. Logan once again picked up the pace in a race against the fading light. The closer they came, the more details of the town became clear to them. Kitty could see clumps of small homes surrounded by tiny garden plots and dusty little trails. They probably had a few small flocks of chickens that wandered throughout the town. There would be all sorts of people living there ranging from holy men to village idiots. And with a little luck, the town gossips might know something that was actually useful to them. As the sky faded into shades of red and orange, Kitty noticed a dark line of dense trees behind Karlsruhe. _Great, another forest._

"I win!" Bobby cried victoriously as he and Blizzard were the first to enter the town.

"It wasn't a race Bobby." Kitty sighed as she slowed Phantom to a stop.

"So? I still won." Iceman crowed.

"Stop the shouting Icicle, you're scaring the villagers away." Logan gruffly commanded.

"I am not." Bobby whined.

"Do you see anyone around?" The feral man questioned. Bobby looked around slowly.

"Um, no." Iceman haltingly replied.

"Right, now settle down." Logan growled and led the group off to find an inn.

The group once again fell silent as they explored the twisting 'streets' of Karlsruhe. Kitty absently patted Phantom's sweaty neck as she lost herself in her thoughts. Nightcrawler was a creature of many secrets, his sword was perfect evidence of that. It may not have been laced with gold or silver or encrusted with rare gems, but Kitty could tell that his sword must've been very expensive because of its obvious high quality. How could a person such as he have such a fine weapon? Did he steal it? And that horse of his was also strange. The mighty black stallion looked to be of very good breeding, how did that horse end up in Nightcrawler's hands? And Schwarzi's saddle also looked to be expensive. Kitty hadn't really gotten a good look at it, but from what she'd seen it was finely crafted from high quality leather. There was no way on earth that a simple peasant could have that kind of sword, horse, and saddle without stealing it.

{_Kitty, are you alright?}_ Jean nervously asked.

{_I've been better. What do you want?}_ Kitty mentally sighed.

{_I was only wondering how you were. You've looked so sad and upset lately.}_ Jean hesitantly replied.

{_It's partly your fault.}_ Kitty grumbled.

{_I know. I'm sorry.}_ Jean whispered. Kitty felt Jean's sorrow and remorse through their mind-to-mind link.

{_Don't worry about it Jean, I forgive you. Just don't ever do that again.}_ Kitty sighed.

{_Thank you.}_ Jean gratefully whispered back. {_So will you talk with us again?}_ She asked.

{_Of course.}_ Kitty replied. {_Do you have anymore questions for me?}_

{_Oh I have thousands! I just don't think that you'd willingly answer any of them.}_ Jean admitted. Kitty quietly sighed.

{_Ask me one and if I feel that I can answer it I will.}_ Kitty promised. Jean paused as she considered her question.

{_What would you do if you ever found your missing husband?}_ Jean asked finally.

{_I honestly don't know. I guess my reaction would depend on how I found him and how he answered my questions.}_ Kitty softly answered.

Before Jean could say anymore, they came to a stop. Kitty blinked several times as she was jolted out of her mental conversation and returned to reality. They'd found an inn and a stable was close by, making it all the better. Logan went to negotiate with the elderly, nervous-looking innkeeper while the others headed to the stable. Kitty put her very rusty Germanic to good use to make the appropriate arrangements with the stable master while Jean, Bobby, Remy, and Piotr got the horses settled. When they returned to the inn with their packs, Logan was finishing up with the innkeeper. They ate a quick dinner that had been hastily prepared by the innkeeper and his aging wife before turning in for the night. Before Kitty entered the room she was sharing with Jean, Bobby tugged on her arm.

"What do you want Bobby?" Kitty asked tiredly.

"I want to know what you thought of Nightcrawler." Bobby replied.

"What do you mean?" Kitty asked somewhat suspiciously.

"Well, when I first met him, I thought he was great. But after that sword fight, I don't know what to think of him anymore. So what do you think?" He asked.

"I think he's a more mysterious Germanic version of you." Kitty replied. Bobby looked insulted.

"I'm nothing like him! I'd never fight you like that!" Bobby hissed. Kitty looked at him strangely.

"Relax Bobby. I didn't mean to insult you or anything. But Nightcrawler was just as annoying as you." Kitty muttered.

"I know, it just made me so mad when I saw that fight. I just couldn't believe that he put you at risk like that." Iceman more calmly explained. Kitty's eye twitched. One thing that she absolutely hated was when a male tried to shield her from any possible harm, real or imagined.

"Goodnight Robert." Kitty tersely snapped and stalked off into her room without giving him a chance to respond.

When Kitty slammed the door behind her Jean looked up slightly alarmed by the noise. Upon seeing the younger woman's expression the mind-witch wisely decided not to ask what was the matter. It was better to wait until the next day at least before risking it. Kitty flopped down onto the bed and fumed. She didn't care if he hadn't meant to make her angry. He'd implied that she was weak, that she needed a man to protect her. She could take care of herself just fine, she needed no man's protection. As she tried to settle down to sleep, she began to remember. _There is only one man who could protect me..._

* * *

Nightcrawler crouched silently before his tiny campfire. Schwarzi was resting a few yards away munching on some weedy greens that grew around him. Somewhere out in the dark woods an owl hooted a few times breaking the silence of the night. Nightcrawler went through his pack noting how much food and money remained. He was running a bit low on food but he still had plenty of coins to spend. He used an oiled rag to polish his first and second swords and the dagger he always wore on his belt. When he finished his polishing, he packed everything away again and gazed deep into the flickering flames of his small fire.

He was in so much trouble right now. He was long overdue to return home from his little vacation. He'd run off and ditched his guard and now he was beyond late. When he got home, his father would kill him. Once every year his father allowed him to go out and explore, but he always had to have his guard Axel with him. Every year Nightcrawler had ditched poor Axel within a few days and went off on his own. Father had always been angry with him for that but would be forgiving if he returned safe and sound and on time. This time he would be late and he knew he was going to pay for it. But he wouldn't regret it.

He'd found her. He'd seen her again. He'd been near her again. He'd heard her sweet voice again. He'd watched her practice her sword. For him it was worth all the pain and torment in the world. But he'd seen that despite having wonderful new friends around her she was lonely. She was sad, she was hurt, she was upset. She grew angry far more easily than before and she was less forgiving. The whole week he had been with her she had never once smiled. She was in pain and he was leaving her behind to go home. Nightcrawler wilted.

He couldn't leave her, not now. He should never have left in the first place. She felt that she was alone and she was hurting. And it was all his fault. He wanted to fix things, but he didn't know how. But he did know that he had to try. Even if he had to make a complete fool of himself, he'd do it. He'd do anything for her. She meant the world to him and more. Some way, somehow he'd find a way to make her smile again. He'd find a way to make her happy. Nightcrawler stiffened with new resolve, he would not fail in this.

Nightcrawler reached down his shirt and fished out a ring hanging from a chain. He glared disdainfully at the large, elaborate circle of gold. On top of it was an intricate family crest that was raised in relief for pressing into wax seals on letters. It depicted a black griffon clutching a sword in each taloned hand on top of a blue and white shield. The crest was surrounded by a fancy design carved into the ring of precious metal, which denoted it as belonging to a noble clan. This ring symbolized his status in the world and he hated it. Having this ring meant endless tortuous social functions and a never-ending game of popularity and backstabbing betrayal. The ring trapped him in a world he despised where he was forced to live a lie to survive. Nightcrawler snarled and roughly shoved the accursed ring back down his shirt.

Nightcrawler came to a decision then. So what if he was late getting home? He'd just have to be later. He wasn't going to leave her again, he would stay. He'd wait until the _Engländer _left Karlsruhe behind and join up with them again. He'd guide them wherever they wanted to go and do whatever they wanted him to do. No matter the consequences, he'd do what was needed to be done. With that decision made, Nightcrawler doused his dying fire and climbed into a nearby tree. He found the perfect branch and settled down on it with a contented sigh. With a satisfied smile, he closed his eerie, glowing eyes and fell asleep.

Note: From this point of {} will denote telepathic communication instead of the slashes since those don't seem to want to upload in the document manager anymore. Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience. [Molliemon irrately slices up several pieces of furniture...]


	26. Devilish Guide

**Chapter 25**

**Devilish Guide**

The first morning of June dawned warm and bright. There wasn't a cloud up above to block the warm sun or mar the pure blue of the sky. Birds sang their unique songs as light breezes sent ripples drifting across the long grasses of the plain. The world of nature went on about its own business ignoring the six horses that marched on. Grasshoppers munched on the nearest greenery uncaring of the human-bearing horses in their midst. Honeybees buzzed about in search of sweet nectar without paying any notice to the traveling humans. No creature took any mind of the strangers among them or their mood.

"That was a waste of a week!" Bobby called out.

"Enough with the complaining." Logan grunted in irritation.

"One whole week and not a single clue!" Iceman moaned.

"We get the picture Bobby." Jean muttered.

"Bobby, please just stop talking." Kitty sighed.

"I said enough with the complaining." Logan growled.

"I wasn't complaining, I was merely stating the facts." Bobby protested.

"It sounded like complaining to me." The feral man grumbled.

"It did not!" Iceman protested.

"Yes it did." Kitty muttered.

"No it did not!" Bobby whined.

"**Stop whining!**" Kitty snapped, Jean and Piotr sighed, Remy shouted, and Logan snarled all at the same time. Bobby cowered in Blizzard's saddle.

"I think I'll be quiet now." Bobby meekly replied.

"Good." Kitty sighed in relief.

All the other riders relaxed on their horses. It finally seemed like they would be getting a short reprieve from Bobby's incessant complaints. Kitty leaned back in Phantom's saddle and tiredly rubbed her eyes. Once this journey was complete, she swore that she would never travel with Bobby ever again. She didn't care if the world would end unless she went with him, she wouldn't do it. Kitty idly stroked Phantom's gray neck as the dense evergreen forest loomed larger and larger before her. Despite the sun's warmth, she shivered.

_Schwarzwald, _the Black Forest, is truly a place to fear. It is an ancient place that shelters ancient things. All manner of mythical, legendary, and supernatural things are reported to inhabit the massive, dense forest that is forever condemned to darkness. It is the rumored home of mad mages, rebel warlocks, rogue sorcerers, evil witches, exiled wizards, violent bandits, and gypsies. The only 'safe' way to traverse this dangerous realm was to stick to the well-traveled trade roads that connected the few villages located within the forest to the outside world. Only the most desperate or foolish dared travel off the established trade roads. Kitty wasn't sure if they were really that desperate or if Bobby's foolishness had rubbed off on them all.

Their new goal was Stüttgart, capital city of the territory of Baden Württemberg. Stüttgart is a large city and a center of trade for the region so it was a good place to go looking for something. It also happened to be near the center of the mighty Black Forest. The normal way of reaching the city was to follow the safe roads that had been cleared for trade. However, these trails twisted and turned so much that it took almost four times as long to get there as it would if someone were to travel there in a straight line. The beginning of the nearest trail was almost twenty miles south of their current location, but they wouldn't be going there. Logan had decided that they would enter the forest right here and find their own way to Stüttgart.

Kitty struggled not to hold her breath as she and Phantom followed Bobby and Blizzard into the dark, forbidding woods. The twisted, ancient branches reminded Kitty of the clawed arms of monsters from stories that her cousins Philip, Thomas, and George would tell her to make her afraid of the dark. Within minutes of entering the Black Forest the light faded until it was almost like night around her. Never could she remember a day in her life where it had been this dark at noon. The densely packed trees and thick carpet of pine needles that covered the ground smothered the clopping of the horses' hooves and any other sound that the travelers made. It gave the dark forest an eerie quality that made Kitty shudder.

A low creaking sound avoided the trap of the trees and needles and found Kitty's ear. She stiffened in her saddle and held her breath. When the sound failed to repeat itself she relaxed and tried to make out her surroundings through the mid-day darkness. Then the creaking sound abruptly repeated itself and she tensed up again. Her blue eyes swept the darkness in all directions, but she still failed to identify the source of the creaking. Frustrated, she slumped back down and mentally scolded herself for getting jumpy over nothing. But then the sound recurred again and once more she stiffened up straight in reaction. Kitty's frustration grew exponentially as every time she succeeded in relaxing the creaking from up above would force her to stiff attention. She almost felt like screaming.

"My aren't we jumpy today?" A masculine voice with a distinctive Germanic accent teased from some where above her head.

"Nightcrawler, you ass!" Kitty shrieked. The line of horses came to a halt.

"Do I look like a donkey to you?" Nightcrawler asked curiously as his head emerged from the concealing branches above them. His glowing eyes reminded Kitty of a pair of fireflies.

"Yes, you're a blue, tree-climbing donkey." She snapped back sarcastically.

"Really? I never knew that." Nightcrawler mused to himself.

"What are you doing here?" Bobby asked suspiciously.

"Following you." The German cheerfully replied.

"Why?" Bobby demanded.

"Because you're not following the trail. _Everybody _follows the trail." He replied.

"If we were to tell you to go away and leave us alone, would you?" Kitty asked before Bobby could open his mouth again.

"No." Nightcrawler responded with a smile that showed his sharp fangs. Kitty sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as she fought the urge to yank the German off his perch by his midnight hued hair.

"Do you know the way to Stüttgart?" Kitty wearily asked.

"Do I know the way to Stüttgart? Of course I do! What sort of question is that?" The Nightcrawler answered sounding mildly insulted.

"Well, if we can't get rid of you, then we'll put you to work. Lead the way!" Kitty mockingly declared.

"It would be my pleasure. Allow me to fetch my horse." The Germanic demon formally replied, completely ignoring the insulting nature of her declaration. Nightcrawler vanished back up into the trees and headed off to collect his absent black stallion. Kitty twisted the reins around one hand as she waited for Nightcrawler's return. _God, please give me the strength to _**not **_kill him. Please, please, please!_

* * *

Logan rode near the end of the line with his senses alert for danger. Every bit of color, every sound, every scent signaled something to him and none of it escaped his notice. No living creature, be it bird or beast, could pass within 100 feet without his knowledge of it. There was no way, short of using magic, that any person, friend or foe, could sneak up on him or those he protected. However, at the moment his greatest concern was not an outside force attacking them. He feared a possible betrayal from within.

He disliked not knowing things about people. One of his general rules was the less he knew about someone, the less likely he was to like, trust, and respect them. This meant that Nightcrawler was at the top of his 'disliked and untrustworthy individuals' list. No one knew what his real name was or where exactly he was from. The full range of his skills and abilities were unknown. And worst of all, his motivations were a complete mystery to the feral man. Without knowing why he did things it was impossible to guess what else he might do.

Wolverine eyed the others' reactions to Nightcrawler's sudden return. Kitty was of course very angry, she thought that she was free of him, but now he had reappeared. Remy looked rather amused, he found Kitty and Nightcrawler's conversations (if they could be called such) quite funny. Jean and Piotr looked a little confused but resigned to the German's presence among them. And Bobby looked strangely angry at the unexpected return of his savior. Wolverine raised an eyebrow upon seeing this. All the others he could understand, but Bobby's sudden change of heart needed some looking in to.

He sent his horse forward to Bobby's position. After pulling up along next to him Logan tried to discreetly catch the younger man's eye. Bobby, however, was so intent on glaring at the back of Nightcrawler's head that he failed to notice that Logan was there. Wolverine rolled his eyes and collected Blizzard's reins from Iceman's loose grip. Bobby remained oblivious as Logan pulled his horse to the back of the line. Remy gave the pair a speculative look but looked away and said nothing. Wolverine shook his head in disbelief as repeated poking and throat-clearing failed to capture Bobby's attention. Nothing it seemed could break Iceman's focus on the apparent source of his anger.

"Drake?" Logan growled threateningly.

"Hm?" Bobby grunted distractedly.

"Over here icicle boy." Wolverine growled. Bobby finally looked over at Logan and did a double take.

"Wha-?" Bobby started to ask in confusion.

"Why the angry glare?" Logan cut in.

"What angry glare?" Bobby asked back.

"The one you're pointing at Nightcrawler." Logan replied.

"What about it?" Bobby asked sullenly.

"Why are you doing it? I thought you liked him." Wolverine asked.

"Well, I did." Bobby mumbled.

"What changed it?" The feral man wondered.

"When he instigated that sword fight with Kitty." Bobby admitted.

"Well he didn't hurt her." Logan said quietly playing the devil's advocate. Bobby looked at him as if he had suddenly gone insane.

"That may be, but he could've killed her!" Bobby protested.

"But he didn't." Logan replied.

"That doesn't matter!" Iceman snapped.

"Why does it bother you so much?" Logan asked, though he'd already made a guess at the reason.

"I don't know him well enough to trust him with her in that sort of situation." Bobby explained.

"That's what I figured." Logan muttered.

"Uh, what?" Bobby asked in confusion. It seemed that he thought that Logan had been serious earlier.

"If it were up to you, would you tell Nightcrawler what it is that we're doing here?" Logan asked, changing the subject. Bobby looked even more confused.

"I'm not sure." Bobby hesitantly replied.

"Do you trust him enough to tell him?" Wolverine asked. Bobby's eyes hardened.

"No." Iceman stiffly replied.

"Alright then." Logan muttered.

That decided it for him. Unless something drastic happened to change his mind, Nightcrawler would not be told their mission. The fewer people that knew about what they were doing, the better. There was no way Nightcrawler could help them gather information without going into a town so there was no point to him knowing. The only use he had was to play the guide between cities, nothing more. So their devilish guide he would remain.


	27. Schwarzwald

**Chapter 26**

**Schwarzwald**

Nightcrawler clung to the flimsy top of a fir tree at the top of the dense forest canopy. It was still very early in the morning meaning that it was nearly pitch black in the forest below. He looked up at the brightening sky with only his thoughts for company. In just a few days they would reach Stüttgart and he would be alone again. He knew that he could very easily follow them into the city secretly, but then he risked being spotted by them, by her. He couldn't afford her seeing him; it would bring too many difficult and painful questions. But if he didn't follow along something bad might happen and he wouldn't find out about it until it was too late to do anything. With a low growl of frustration his tail slipped around a prickly pine cone, snapped it free of its branch, and sent it flying over the tree tops.

A small flock of crows exploded from the canopy cawing their anger at being driven to flight by a spiny pine cone that had landed amongst them. Nightcrawler winced at the harsh cries of the crows and decided to head back down to the _Engländer _that he was guiding. With grace and ease that put squirrels to shame he dropped down the tree's trunk and moved from branch to branch. In a few short minutes he arrived back at the tree where he'd spent the night with only Logan knowing that he had been gone at all. He kept his movements careful and quiet as he crept down the tree trunk so that he didn't disturb anyone who still might be sleeping. With a silent leap he flipped off of the tree and landed clear of the nearby sleeping shapes. He was about to get last night's fire going again when the sound of a throat being cleared loudly interrupted him.

"Where did you go off to bub?" Logan growled suspiciously.

"I went up to watch the sunrise." Nightcrawler replied.

"Leave the fire alone and go see to the horses." The feral man grunted.

"_Jawohl!_" Nightcrawler cried giving a mock salute before scampering off to do as he was told.

Once Nightcrawler was safe from Logan among the horses in a nearby clearing he let his true feelings show. He really hated being pushed around, especially when it was Logan who was doing the pushing. With barely restrained irritation he set about re-saddling the sleepy horses. Schwarzi gave him no trouble and most of the _Engländers' _horses, while nervous of him, were just as well behaved. But Kitty's horse, Phantom, was another story entirely. The half wild mare appeared to hate everyone but her rider. The pale gray and black beast eyed him defiantly while making sure to stand just out of reach. Nightcrawler made it a point to ignore her and lavished attention and affection on the other horses instead. Only when he had completely finished with all the other horses did he look towards the rebellious Phantom.

Casually Nightcrawler lounged on a tree stump opposite from the ill-tempered Phantom. Silently he observed his stubborn adversary with a critical eye. He admired the mare's beautiful yet subtle coloration. Her coat from a distance looked a solid pale gray, but up close he could see many different shades of light gray that gave her flanks and hindquarters a dappled appearance. A solid black went up from her hooves and smoothly blended together with the gray halfway up her powerful legs. Her mane and tail were solid shining ebony that starkly contrasted with her mostly pale colored coat. Overall, Phantom was a truly beautiful horse. If she were up for sale he would've bought her in a heartbeat. But she wasn't up for sale; she belonged to someone else so he would just have to forget about it. With a lazy stretch he prepared to enter in a battle of wills, man versus beast.

"Hello there! How are you today?" He asked in his friendliest, least threatening voice. Phantom regarded him warily but did not move from her spot. "Doesn't this look like it will be a lovely day today?" He asked her and gestured towards the few strengthening beams of sunlight that managed to break through the canopy. Phantom snorted derisively at him, but Nightcrawler didn't mind. "Do you want to come over here and talk with me or are you going to stay all the way over there by yourself?" He asked the horse curiously. She gave a neigh and tossed her head violently. "Suit yourself then." Nightcrawler sighed before pulling a small wild apple out of his pocket and crunching into it. Phantom's ears swiveled forward at the sound with intense interest. "Oh, do you want one too?" He asked. She gave a low whiny and took one tiny step forward. "Well, it just so happens that I have one more. All you have to do is come over here and take it." He promised holding out the second apple that he'd picked on his earlier canopy excursion. Phantom very slowly approached and when she was only a few inches away they were interrupted.

"What do you think you're doing?" A female voice demanded in an icy tone. Nightcrawler turned to see a very angry looking Kitty glaring back at him.

"Just making friends. Is that a crime?" Nightcrawler asked with perfect innocence. Kitty marched right up to him and snatched the apple from his fuzzy blue hand.

"Never, ever touch my horse." She hissed.

"Yes my lady, I will remember next time." Nightcrawler cheerily promised burying his disappointment beneath a smile.

She didn't look the least bit convinced of his sincerity and stalked off with Phantom in tow. With all the other horses taken care of there was no reason for him to hang around. Silently he walked away in search of breakfast trying desperately not to hear the affectionate words she saved for her beloved mount. She never said anything half as nice to him, not ever. He paused on the edge of the slowly waking camp and rested against a tree. Wordlessly he watched the others stumble about in the dim light as they struggled to eat some breakfast and get ready to leave at the same time. A sudden wave of doubt and melancholy washed over him. Why was he doing this? They didn't like him and they didn't trust him. And then there was the fact that the longer he followed them the worse his trouble would be when he returned home. So why did he even bother?

He did it because of her. It was all because of her. He followed to protect her, to help her, and to try and make her happy again. She might resent and despise him, but he would always be loyal to her. So what if being away for as long as it took got him into trouble with his father. He would take whatever punishment was given with a smile. So what if they didn't like him. He would find a way to charm each and every one of them. He'd prove to them that he was useful and trustworthy. With renewed purpose and confidence he set off to get some food and make some friends.

* * *

Jean stiffly lowered herself off of her horse. Today's ride had been unusually rough so far. They had encountered several different streams of varying depths and widths that they had to cross. The terrain around these streams was also very irregular and the banks were quite steep. Then they'd run into several areas where the trees were denser than average making it very difficult to make their way through. This combined with the poor light made today the most miserable day yet in this forest of eternal twilight. But thankfully it was finally time to stop for lunch. Now Jean stumbling on nearly numb limbs to a fallen log to rest. She wearily slumped down onto the log and rifled through her pack for something to eat. She settled on a few hard biscuits and a handful of smoked meat strips that she washed down with water. As she ate her simple travel meal she relaxed and began to enjoy the peace of the moment.

"Hello _Fräulein! _Enjoying your lunch?" A masculine voice with a noticeable Germanic accent politely asked. Jean flinched and turned to find a blue-furred demon sitting beside her.

"Yes, I was enjoying my lunch." Jean replied in a clipped tone. After her first encounter with him he had put up very strong mental shields. She could barely sense even the strongest of his emotions through it, let alone his surface thoughts. Without being able to read his mind she couldn't bring herself to trust him. And then there was his 'relationship' with Kitty. She was unhappy with him about how he constantly tormented her friend.

"You aren't very happy with me." Nightcrawler quietly stated.

"You're right, I'm not." She confirmed focusing solely on her food.

"That's what I was afraid of. May I ask what I might do to make you happier with me?" He politely asked. Jean fixed him with a frigid glare.

"Stay away from her?" She commanded in a low, cold voice. Nightcrawler looked very sad upon hearing this answer.

"I am not sure that I can do that. But I will promise you this, if I do anything that truly hurts her, then I will gladly accept whatever punishment you unleash upon me." He replied sounding unusually serious.

"What good are your promises?" Jean demanded.

"I brought you back your lost man. I led you to Karlsruhe and now I am taking you to Stüttgart. The only question that I haven't answered is my name. If you refuse my word, then why do you still follow me?" Nightcrawler asked her. Jean found that she had no answer.

"I still don't trust you." She muttered stubbornly.

"I can understand that." He replied. A heavy silence fell, softened only by the soft conversations of Logan and Kitty, and Remy, Bobby, and Piotr. When the rest hour was almost up Jean voiced a final question.

"Why are you so interested in Kitty?" Jean asked. Nightcrawler didn't answer right away, which made Jean grow suspicious.

"She reminds me of a girl I knew once." He answered finally.

"She does?" Jean wondered, hoping to get more out of him.

"Yes, they look similar, but Kitty seems more angry and far less forgiving than the girl I knew." Nightcrawler sighed sadly.

Jean was about to ask more when Logan declared the break over. Nightcrawler quickly seemed to regain his cheerful attitude and he bounded off towards his horse. The fire-haired mind-witch blinked at such a sudden change in demeanor. With a tired sigh she shook off her surprise and struggled to her feet. Her lower half still wasn't fully recovered from the morning's ride so she had some difficulty getting back to her horse and getting back into the saddle. In a few short minutes everyone was mounted and ready to go. Nightcrawler took his place at the head of the line and they got underway once more. As the gentle rocking motion of the saddle became regular Jean's thoughts wandered. _There is far more to this Nightcrawler than meets the eye. Hopefully allying ourselves with him won't bring any mysterious trouble down on our heads._

* * *

Nightcrawler crouched on a bare dead branch that sprouted out of the canopy like a twig in a sea of grass. It was night now and the others were back in their camp fast asleep. Only he and maybe Logan were still awake now. With his services no in demand at this time he was free to do as he pleased. So now here he was, relaxing at the top of the canopy and enjoying the beautiful night sky. A gentle breeze swept by with just enough strength to ruffle his fur a bit, which was a stark contrast to the stuffy forest floor below. There were so many stars crowding the clear night sky that it was almost impossible to find an open space of blackness. The moon was about half full and it shone with a mixture of white and silver light. It was a beautiful night, but he had too much on his mind to completely appreciate it.

He hadn't gotten the reaction that he'd hoped for when he spoke with Jean. She revealed a great deal more hostility than he had expected. She saw him as nothing more than an untrustworthy guide that threatened her friend and treated him as such. He'd ended up saying far more personal information than he'd ever intended to. And while he hadn't told any lies, he hadn't been exactly truthful either and that bothered him. He hated lying to people, but his very life depended on a web of lies and illusions. While the Church claims that the truth will set you free, if he spoke too much truth his life might become forfeit. So when he told Jean his story about the girl he knew he was forced to leave out a great deal. And still he knew that he had failed to improve his standing with her.

And just recently he found out about a new difficulty. A few hours ago after dinner he'd tried to have a conversation with Bobby and received quite a shock. The last time that he had really sat down to talk with the Iceman they had gotten along very well. Bobby had been warm, friendly, and trusting and that's what he was expecting this time. However, this time was the complete opposite of last time. Bobby was now cold, unresponsive, and very suspicious of everything that Nightcrawler said or did. Whatever trust the English boy had had in him had mysteriously vanished. Now he was left wondering what it was that he'd done or hadn't done to lose Bobby's trust. One person who he had felt that he could count on for support he suddenly found that he couldn't. Now he had a long road ahead to win Bobby back over again along with everyone else.

With an exhausted sigh Nightcrawler slowly headed back to camp. Whatever energy that had possessed him and brought him up here had abandoned him. He slunk through the trees taking a longer, more scenic route back to the tree that he had selected to spend the night in. When he finally did return to his sleeping tree he carefully settled himself on a wide sturdy branch and relaxed. He looked down briefly and checked to see if Kitty was alright in her blanket below him. While he whispered to himself that it was a nice coincidence that he happened to pick the same tree that she did, his inner self wasn't fooled. He might be good at lying to other people, but he could never lie to himself.


	28. Lockheed

**Chapter 27**

**Lockheed**

The birds of the forest were just beginning to stir when Kitty awoke from her restful night's sleep. As a rule she tried to stay asleep as long as the sun would let her, but in the Schwarzwald there was only twilight and pitch blackness, no sunlight. So unless she wished to sleep forever, she would have to stay awake when her eyes opened. Now that she was awake, she very carefully peeled off her blanket and stretched. With her limbs un-stiffened and joints resettled she very carefully, very quietly slipped out of the camp and deeper into the forest. She was forced to slowly feel her way through the dark, dense woods and she found it quite aggravating. She might love to travel, but answering nature's call out in the middle of nowhere was a true pain.

After she found a suitable spot that was far enough away and secluded, she did her business and prepared to head back. At least it was her intention to head back. A faint sound of rushing water reached her ears and the urge to wash her face overrode her desire to return. It had been several days since she had been able to wash her face so she was eager to find this hidden stream. With a few dim twists and turns she reached the bank of the gurgling stream and nearly fell into it because of the weak light. Very cautiously she picked her way down the steep, unstable bank to reach the clear, cold water. She dipped her cupped hands in the shallow brook and splashed the water she collected over her grimy feeling face. With a bit of scrubbing and a few more splashes of cool water she felt clean and refreshed. Now feeling renewed she was more than ready to return to camp.

As she turned to leave a weak beam of light pierced the dense forest canopy and illuminated an odd splotch of color. It caught her attention, fired her curiosity, and made her pause. All thoughts of return fled her mind and she quietly made her way to the spot of purple that showed in a small hole in the undergrowth. She was certain that the purple thing wasn't a flower; she had seen barely a handful of blossoms since entering the Schwarzwald. In fact, the closer she crept to it, the more sure she was that the thing was some sort of animal. But what sort of animal was purple? When she was less than a foot away the mysterious thing shifted and she froze. Now that she was so close to it she saw that it was covered in tiny smooth scales. Was it some sort of snake or lizard then? She gathered her nerve, reached forward, and moved the weeds aside to reveal what they hid.

It wasn't a snake and it wasn't a lizard. It wasn't any sort of normal reptile at all. The purple scaled creature was not very big; it looked to be smaller than a cat though it was larger than a squirrel. Its head was wedge-shaped and mounted on a serpentine neck. The creature had a pair of horns that sprouted off the back of its skull that went from bone white at the horn roots to jet black at the pointed tips. It had white triangular bony spines that ran from the base of its head along its spine to the end of its tail. The thing's ears reminded her of a horse's as she spotted them pinned flat on the top of its head. While most of its body was a uniform shade of purple, its legs were almost white in color. It had small white curved claws at the end of its tiny finger-like digits. The way it was curled on the ground revealed its magenta tinted belly that matched the membranes of its bat-like wings and the flat, almost spade-like shape at the end of its tail. The creature was a miniature dragon.

She must've made some sort of sound because one moment the tiny purple dragon was sleeping and the next it was wide awake and hissing fiercely at her. Even in its anger she couldn't help but find the small creature beautiful. It crouched low on all fours with back and neck arched, wings half open, and tail straight up. Its golden-yellow eyes glowed with spirit and its bared curved needle teeth looked to be as sharp as its claws. With a hissing snarl the little dragon snapped its head forward, opened its jaws, and released a small but very hot jet of flame. This sent a startled Kitty stumbling backwards to escaped having her face burned off. She hid herself behind a wide tree trunk in hopes that the enraged dragonet would miss her, but the small purple fire-breather never appeared.

Cautiously Kitty returned to the clump of weeds to find that the furious little dragon was still huddled there. It snarled and lunged up at hr with wings stretched wide, but came up short. It tried to dart over the layer of pine needles that covered the ground, but again it didn't quite make it to her. Kitty frowned, this wasn't right. It was almost like the little creature was held by an invisible chain of some sort. Very slowly she lowered herself to her knees and offered the small animal her hand. The little dragon snapped at her hand at first, but on her second try it gave her a suspicious sniff. After a few more sniffs it tentatively licked her knuckle with its pink forked tongue.

Taking the gentle lick as a good sign, Kitty very slowly moved her fingers down along the purple dragon's neck. Near the base of its neck she found something odd. It felt like a metal collar, but she didn't see anything. She knew that there was something there, she felt a clear difference between it and the dragon's soft scaly neck. She carefully probed about with two fingertips until she came across a small invisible chain. The invisible chain ran from the invisible collar along the ground to a nearby log. She tried to pull the chain loose but it was stuck fast. All while she did this the dragon remained perfectly still and silent as it watched every move she made with its yellowish cat-like eyes. With a sigh of mild frustration Kitty leaned back and considered this most unusual problem.

The fact that the chain and collar were invisible pointed to magic. It was the only explanation for how the things could be invisible and it was the only way that such tiny, light bonds could hold a dragon. Even a tiny dragon such as this one would be difficult, if not impossible to keep confined by non-magical means. Dragons were increasingly rare in this day and age mainly because knights hunted them for glory and wizards slew them for their magical properties. A knight might ignore this small one, but a magic-user still might find a use for it. With invisible magic chains involved it made her think that a wizard had come across this dragon and tried to use it for some dark sort of magic. To think that anyone would want to kill such a pretty creature for its blood, bones, and other parts made her shudder.

Kitty couldn't bear the thought of some cruel mage or sorceress doing any harm to the purple-scaled dragon made up her mind. She found the collar once more and phased it off the miniature dragon's neck. The instant that it was freed it scuttled sideways and shook itself. Slowly it felt around its neck with one hand, then the other before it seemed sure that it was free. With a joyful cry that sounded more like a bird's than a reptile's. It leapt up and spread wide its black edged wings and flew. Despite the closely placed trees the little purple dragon winged its way in graceful arcing loops around tree trunks. It chirped and sang a happy song that put most other songbirds to shame as it danced through the air.

Kitty watched the little dragon's joyous flight for a while with a satisfied smile. But she realized that she'd been there long enough. Twice she'd delayed returning to camp and now it was probably late enough that the others would be waking. If she wasn't there when they woke up they would worry and she would have many questions to answer. Reluctantly she turned away from the dragon's celebration and picked her way back to the camp. While she wanted to stay and watch the dragon's happy flight she knew it was best for her to return and satisfied herself with her good deed. She was halfway between the stream and the camp when something unexpected happened. She felt a sudden gust of wind blow past her face, which was odd for the stuffy forest, and something solid collided with her shoulder.

She squeaked and stumbled in the darkness barely catching herself in time. As she straightened up she was aware that whatever had hit her shoulder was still there. She was so shocked and frightened by what had just occurred that the only thing that she thought to do was reach up and touch it. With great caution she slowly raised one hand up and lightly touched the mysterious thing with her fingertips. It felt smooth and warm to her touch and it made a familiar chirping noise. Nervously she turned her head to confront the thing face to face and was greeted by a friendly pair of golden reptilian eyes. The mysterious thing was the tiny purple dragon from a few minutes earlier. It must've noticed her absence and have come to find her. She sighed in relief.

"You scared me half to death!" She whispered to the small dragon on her shoulder. It made a quiet chirp that sounded sad and apologetic. "Don't worry about it, I know that you didn't mean to do it. Now go on, off with you." She commanded trying to shoo the purple lizard away. It squeaked in alarm and climbed closer to her neck trying to hide itself I her half loose hair. She half-heartedly tried to peel it off her shoulder, but it only whimpered and clung tighter. "I'm not going to be able to get rid of you am I?" She sighed. The miniature dragon shook its small head. "Well then I'll just have to keep you then." She decided with a smile. The dragon liked this statement immensely and rubbed its tiny head against her cheek making a gurgling sort of purr. With everything settled for the moment she continued on back to camp. She'd find a way to keep this cute little dragon, somehow.

* * *

Nightcrawler was not happy. This morning had looked like it would be a beautiful day. The sun was shining bright and warm above the forest canopy. The air was clean and cool and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Then he'd come back down from watching the sunrise and his good mood abruptly vanished. He peered down from his branch to find that Kitty was gone. Her blanket was crumpled in a shapeless pile where she'd slept the night, but she wasn't in or near it. He dropped out of his tree and looked around camp for her and failed to locate her. Carefully he looked into her abandoned pack and noticed that her sword was still there. Without her sword she couldn't be out practicing so the only other thing she could be doing was relieving herself. So he settled down on a fallen log and waited for her to return.

When nearly a half an hour passed he really began to worry. All the others were up and about by this time and getting ready to move on. Logan had returned from a quick hunt and brought back a few sliced rabbits. Jean was preparing a soup to put the rabbit in while Bobby wrestled with the fire. Remy was lazily collecting wood for fire on the edges of camp and Piotr was reorganizing the supplies. He was supposed to be working with the horses right now, but until Kitty returned he wasn't moving. The others glared at him but he ignored them. He continually scanned the surrounding forest with his sharp yellowish hued eyes seeking any sign of the absent young woman. Finally the waiting became too much for him to bear and he prepared to actively search for her. As he was standing up, he spotted movement among the dark trees.

Quite suddenly Kitty emerged from the shadows into a rare shaft of bright sunlight. Nightcrawler fought back the urge to snarl. With a few powerful bounds he arrived at her side with the intent to extract answers from her. Then, just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of what was on her shoulder. Was he seeing things or was there a tiny purple dragon sitting on her shoulder? All thoughts of gaining answers fled his mind and left him standing there utterly dumbfounded. Kitty turned to face him, but he was unable to say a single word to her. She quickly grew annoyed with him and left him behind. By the time he managed to recover himself Kitty had gone the last few yards back into camp.

When he caught up the others were already bombarding her with questions. _What was it? Where had she found it? Was it tame? Could they touch it? Was she going to keep it? _They would've asked more, but she signaled for silence. She slipped her way through the small circle that they had formed around her and she calmly settled herself on the fallen log that he had so recently occupied. The others followed her silently and settled in a loose half circle around her. When everyone was settled she went through and answered the previous questions in order. _It was a dragon. She found it by a stream. It seemed tame, but she wasn't completely sure. They could try and touch it if they wanted to, but it would be at their own risk. And she was going to keep it._

"You're going to keep it? How?" Logan asked gruffly.

"Well it seems to want to stay with me so I'll just let it follow along." Kitty replied.

"What happens when we get to Stüttgart?" Logan demanded.

"I'll just have to find a way to tell it not to follow me into towns is all." Kitty answered. Logan didn't look like he felt that that idea would be successful.

"If you are keeping it, what are you going to call it?" Piotr asked curiously. Kitty thoughtfully studied her purple companion before answering.

"I think I'll call it Lockheed." She decided. Nightcrawler blinked, she was naming it after her stuffed toy?

"That's a nice name I suppose, but I could come up with better." Bobby declared boastfully.

"I'm sure that you could." Kitty muttered dryly, her tone laced with sarcasm.

There was some more conversation concerning this new addition to the group, but Nightcrawler didn't stay to listen. Now that Kitty had returned safely he had no excuse to neglect his duties to the horses any longer. Silently he slipped away though no one notice. Once people adjusted to his radical appearance they rarely noticed him at all unless he made a pest of himself or they wanted him to do something. There were numerous times in his short life when it seemed like only his father remembered that he existed. Without speaking a word he saddled and arranged the horses, leaving only Phantom untouched. As he finished with the last horse, Bobby's Blizzard, Kitty arrived with her new pet still clinging to her shoulder. He rigidly maintained his silence as she cared for both creatures, pouring all sorts of affectionate words and gestures upon them.

When she finally finished they all sat down for a quick breakfast. The whole meal Nightcrawler watched her coddle her new pet, which basked in her loving attention. She would feed it bits of biscuit, breakfast gruel, and smoked meat, and it would chirp and purr. She whispered sweet praises to it and the tiny dragon lovingly cuddled its head and neck against her cheek. When the others tried to speak with her it might takes several attempts to steal her attention away from the purple dragon. Even when they managed to pull her into their conversations she never entirely listened. All her love and attention were focused solely on the little dragon named Lockheed. This whole display reminded Nightcrawler of something else and made him feel vaguely ill.

With some effort he suppressed a growing flare of jealousy. He would never compete with or remove a source of happiness from her. If that little dragon made her happy and didn't hurt her he would leave it be. It would take some time to adjust, but he could learn to live with this new complication. He'd done it many times before and he had no doubts that he could do it again. It would be difficult but he would do it. Perhaps he might even befriend this new creature and gain its help. He knew that he would never be able to get close to the dragon while Kitty was present, but she wouldn't be around all the time. In less than two days time they should arrive in Stüttgart, a place where neither he nor the dragon could go. Kitty and the others would enter the city and he would be left to guard little Lockheed. The beginnings of a plan began to form within his skull as he went to lead the line of horses through the forest. His poor mood began to improve slightly as his plans solidified. _Cuddle her while you can little one. Soon she will be gone and you will have only me for company. Then I shall make you my friend and tell you my secrets so that I won't feel quite so lonely anymore.

* * *

_

_See a little picture of Lockheed! Enter this address and remember to remove the spaces!  
_http : img. photobucket. com/ albums/ v371/ Molliemon/ Lockheed. jpg


	29. Stuttgart

**Chapter 28**

**Stüttgart**

It was a mildly unpleasant gray day when the group reached Stüttgart. They could've gotten here a few hours earlier, but Lockheed gave them a little trouble. He didn't want to be left behind and kept following them. It took a lot of begging and convincing on Kitty's part to make him stay behind. She tried bribing him with food and promises of a nice surprise if he did as he was told, but the little dragon didn't seem swayed. Then she tried to persuade him by telling him that he wouldn't be left all alone, Nightcrawler wouldn't be coming with them into the city either. She eventually succeeded and now they had reached their next goal.

Stüttgart was pretty much the same as every other city they had visited. It was surrounded by the houses of peasants, then the minor craftsmen, then the merchants, and finally the richest citizens and officials. The streets went from crude, narrow, and twisting to wider cobblestone paved streets that were straighter and easier to navigate. Near the city center there were several markets and auctions that sold all manner of goods. Every district, almost every street, had some sort of tavern or inn that sold decent meals and alcoholic spirits. The only thing that was not average about this city was the mood.

While the streets and markets were full of people they were all very quiet and subdued. It was like a very important and well-liked person that the entire city knew had recently died and they were all in mourning. But there was also a sense of fear, like they knew something terrible was going to happen though they didn't know what or when. This chilled atmosphere of foreboding was so pervasive and obvious that even Bobby was affected by it. He had yet to say a single word since they'd entered the fringes of the city. Something was very wrong here.

They quickly found a suitable inn with a nearby stable for their horses. Kitty and Logan made the arrangements for the rooms and horses as the others got settled. With their things unpacked they went as a group to order their lunch, no one wanted to go alone. They ate in silence and studied everyone else around them just as the other customers studied them. The tension in the room was almost tangible and only the locals knew why. This lack of knowledge was too much for Kitty to stand.

She slipped off giving the excuse that she had to relieve herself. After visiting an outhouse she took a detour and looked for a person to talk to. She passed up several shifty looking merchants; they would probably demand money for information. She avoided a staggering group of drunks; they were only partially aware of their surroundings, they weren't worth the effort. She briefly considered talking to a priest she spotted in the distance, but dismissed the idea. He might not want to waste his time with her. Finally she spotted the perfect target, a young woman who looked open and honest.

"_Guten Tag!_" Kitty began. The young woman jumped and looked around cautiously.

"_Guten Tag._" She replied nervously.

"(Could you please tell me why everyone is so upset?)" Kitty asked.

"(Lord Grauhard is here.)" She whispered nervously.

"(Lord Grauhard? I don't think that I am familiar with him.)" Kitty replied.

"(He has recently inherited his father's position and he has quickly made a name for himself.)" The woman explained.

"(What has he done that has put everyone one on edge?)" Kitty wondered.

"(He hates foreigners and Gypsies and feels that he is on a mission from God to drive them out of Germania and kill them if they refuse.)" The woman whispered fearfully. "(I must go.)" She murmured and swiftly vanished into the crowd.

Kitty quietly returned to the others and finished her meal. This was definitely going to complicate things for them. They would have to keep a low profile, especially around soldiers, and that would severely limit what they would be able to find out here. This little quest was just all going to Hell. At this rate they'd never find the Destiny Scrolls. Her mood now officially gone sour Kitty followed the others back up to their rooms to have a quick meeting before they had the rest of the day to themselves.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" Bobby asked before any real business could begin.

"Because Lord Grauhard is here." Kitty sighed.

"Who?" Bobby asked.

"Some young lord who has something personal against Gypsies and foreigners." Kitty replied.

"How do you know that?" Bobby wondered.

"I asked someone." Kitty answered.

"This makes things more complicated." Jean stated.

"Yes it will. Bobby, be on your absolute best behavior or else." Logan threatened.

"I always do." Bobby replied. Everyone just gave him a dirty look and then they got on with their meeting.

* * *

Nightcrawler was near the end of his rope. Ever since Kitty had vanished from sight Lockheed had been wailing. Who knew that such a small dragon could make such a loud ear-splitting sound? He sat on a tree branch next to the winged purple lizard with his tri-dactyl hands clamped firmly over his blue pointed ears. If Kitty didn't like this little creature so much he would've strangled it already. It would be so easy to do. All he had to do was wrap his tail around the thing's scrawny neck and squeeze. One more mournful wail and he'd had enough.

"Oh be quiet you little beast!" He shouted. The small purple creature snapped its mouth shut and whimpered pitifully. Nightcrawler held his head and sighed, he gotten rid of one annoyance for another. Lockheed kept whimpering and sniveling and looking utterly miserable. He acted like he'd lost the most important person in the world to him forever. This was just too much for the blue-furred demon to take.

"Please stop!" Nightcrawler cried. "It's not the end of the world!" The mournful look he received in return said that the little dragon felt otherwise. "What? Am I not good enough company for you?" Nightcrawler demanded. Lockheed gave him a sad look and shook his little triangular head. The blue furry German stared in open-mouthed shock for a moment. "Well that did wonders for my self-esteem." He grumbled sourly. The pygmy dragon let out a tiny sigh and curled up on the tree branch in a ball of melancholy.

"What, do you think that she won't come back?" Nightcrawler asked. The purple-hued fire-lizard nodded its head this time. "She wouldn't do that, she likes you too much." Nightcrawler soothed. Lockheed moaned and shook its head negatively. "Of course she does, she likes you far more than she likes me. In fact she downright despises me. She would gladly leave me behind, but not you." The blue German sighed sadly. The little dragon looked up at him inquisitively.

"She's always hated me, almost from the day she met me. I can't say that I'd blame her for it either. I've always ruined things for her, always held her back from her dreams. I kept her away from the boy she truly loved and my presence always displeased her at the very least. And just when we were starting to get along I was forced to abandon her in a living nightmare. She has every reason in the world to hate me." Nightcrawler moaned. The tiny dragon took pity on him and began to rub against his side and make a growling purr.

"I thank you for your support; few would give it to a miserable creature such as I. I deserve everything I get and more for what I have done. I should just walk away and leave her in peace right now, but I can't. I missed her so much for so long that I can't leave her be. It hurts me so much to see her so sad and angry, but there's nothing that I can do because she won't talk to me. To her I'm just some annoying demon that does nothing but pester her. I'm not trustworthy and I'm not worth her time." Nightcrawler murmured mournfully. Lockheed crawled up his arm and snuggled up by his chest. Such a move indicated absolute trust and it warmed the Nightcrawler's aching heart.

"You are one of a kind." Nightcrawler purred in praise. "You are nearly as great as my horse Schwarzi. Maybe you're even better; Schwarzi certainly can't sit up here with me like you can. And, don't tell Schwarzi that I said this; you're much smarter than he is. If only you could talk then I think we'd have wonderful conversations." The German whispered. The miniature dragon puffed up in pride. Nightcrawler grinned a true happy grin for the first time in a long time. He'd managed to win one of the group over, and it looked to be a beautiful friendship indeed.


	30. Beyond the Black Forest

**Chapter 29**

**Beyond the Black Forest**

Kitty yawned as they slipped out of Stüttgart just before the sun rose. It was still dark with only the palest gray smudge on the horizon hinting at the coming dawn. There wasn't a soul aside from them who was awake and active at this hour so it was the best time to leave. Without any witnesses it would be next to impossible to know where they went and that was just how Logan wanted it. It didn't matter that they hadn't been detected by any of Lord Grauhard's soldiers; he wasn't going to take any chances. So it was an early start for them today.

The pitch black shadows of the Black Forest hovered before them as they exited the city. It looked like some massive shapeless monster that was waiting for them to enter before trapping them inside the blackness forever. If Kitty weren't so tired she would've shivered. Instead she just yawned and fought back the urge to roll off her saddle and take a nap on the ground. It was very tempting to her tired mind, but she resisted it. If she did that then everyone would have to stop and they'd be very angry about it, especially Logan and he wasn't a man to make angry.

As the trees closed around them Kitty felt like she was entering some sort of terrible dream. Everything was black and indistinct. It was very quiet; few birds were awake at this hour. She did hear the faint chirping of crickets and the buzzing of insect wings. The clopping of the horses' hooves was muted by the thick blanket of dead leaves and fallen pine needles. If she weren't so tired this would feel eerie, now it was just part of a distant dream. Kitty yawned again and her head began to drop as her grip slackened on Phantom's reins. The darkness of the forest, the lack of loud sound, and the gentle rocking motion of her horse's gait was slowly but surely putting her to sleep.

"Don't fall asleep, you'll fall off." A voice purred in her ear. Kitty jerked straight up and wide awake to find the Nightcrawler grinning at her as he rode alongside her on his black stallion.

"When did you get here?" Kitty asked sleepily.

"A few moments ago. Why did you leave town so early in the morning?" He asked curiously.

"Logan decided it would be best if we did." Kitty grumbled rubbing some sleep from her eyes.

"But why?" The blue demon wondered.

"Because Lord Grauhard was there." Bobby snapped back glaring over his shoulder at Nightcrawler as he rode ahead of them.

"Ah, that explains everything." Nightcrawler muttered to himself.

"Really?" Bobby demanded snappishly.

"_Ja, _I know all about him." The German replied somewhat uncomfortably.

"I doubt that." Bobby scoffed and turned around to face the narrow path. Nightcrawler instantly relaxed and looked a little sad.

"I save his life and bring him back to you and this is how he repays me." The fuzzy creature sighed.

"He's just mad at you for that sword fight." Kitty snorted.

"Is that true?" The yellow-eyed demon asked.

"Yes it is. He thought you were going to stab me or lop my head off." She replied rolling her eyes skyward. Nightcrawler gave her an incredulous look before exploding into laughter.

"What an idiot!" He cackled. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, why would you?" Kitty asked seriously. He stopped laughing.

"I wouldn't. I have nothing against you, I don't hate you, you weren't out to kill me, so why would I?" He replied gently. Kitty looked away, the gentle yet sad look in his golden eyes twisted something deep in her chest and she couldn't bear to look at him anymore.

"I was just checking." She muttered.

"I know." Nightcrawler whispered.

"Where's Lockheed?" Kitty asked suddenly, wanting to change the subject and find out what had become of her pet in her absence.

"He's still sleeping, it's too early for little dragons to be awake yet." Nightcrawler teased and gestured behind him. She followed his finger and spotted Lockheed curled up onto of the Nightcrawler's pack fast asleep. Kitty smiled faintly.

"He didn't give you any trouble did he?" She asked.

"Only a little on the first day. He wailed and wailed like the world was ending because he thought that you'd abandoned him forever. But I was able to convince him that that wasn't the case so he was fine for the rest of the week." He cheerfully replied.

"Well that's good to hear. I hope you didn't corrupt him." She joked.

"I would never corrupt anything." He replied acting mildly insulted. "And I would certainly never corrupt a friend."

"A friend?" Kitty asked confused as to who he was referring.

"Yes Lockheed is my friend. Does this bother you?" Nightcrawler asked.

"No, so long as you take good care of him while I'm away I have no complaints." She replied. The blue furred devil seemed content with this answer.

"So where are we going now?" He asked.

"Nürnberg." She answered.

Nightcrawler nodded but said nothing in return. They rode in silence for a half hour or so, which Kitty found to be quite enjoyable. When he wasn't being annoying and moronic he was actually very good company unlike Bobby who never ever shut off. Then Lockheed began to stir. First he opened his little yellow eyes and yawned flashing his tiny needle fangs. Then he stood up and began stretching everything he could stretch. Once he finished waking himself up he spotted Kitty and squealed in delight. With a short fluttering hop he left the back of Nightcrawler's saddle and landed in her lap where he purred happily.

After Kitty and Lockheed had finished greeting each other Kitty realized that Nightcrawler had vanished. She looked around until she caught a shadowy glimpse of him moving to the front of the line. It looked like he was going to play guide for them again. Kitty wondered why he chose to do that every time. They always made him take care of the other horses and what ever other chores they decided that they didn't want to do. Why did he put up with that? Was he truly that lonely that he would take their mild abuses just to be around people? That thought bothered her greatly. He could be annoying and infuriating, but he never seemed to mean any real harm. Perhaps she ought to give him a second chance.

* * *

Bobby glared darkly at the Cursed demonic man known as the Nightcrawler. At the moment he was regretting naming the thing and accepting its help. Now he wouldn't leave them alone. Every time they left a city he would pop up out of nowhere and lead them to their next target. It didn't matter to him that the Nightcrawler had yet to steer them wrong, he was growing very tired of the blue one's near constant presence. And it appeared that things were getting worse.

Now Kitty seemed to have developed a tolerance for the Cursed German. It hadn't even been a full day yet and already he could see a difference. She was no longer as short and cold with him when they spoke. And when they spoke it wasn't an argument, they simply talked. She now was allowing him to sit closer to her without growing visibly irritated as she had before. They were getting along very well and that really irritated Bobby. How could she trust a man that still refused to reveal who he really was? Hadn't he known them all long enough to trust them? Nightcrawler was hiding something important and Bobby was going to find out what and why…


	31. To Bayern We Go!

**Chapter 30**

**To Bayern We Go!**

Nightcrawler crouched on a brush covered hilltop to watch the sunrise. He watched at the golden sun banished the darkness for the day and brought the world to life. It was very pretty, to a poet or artist it might be inspirational, but he was not one of those. He simply watched this temporary painting of nature to clear his head and gather some courage. He never used to watch the sun's rising and setting very much. He might happen to watch it if he had nothing better to do at the time but he never did it on purpose before. Now he found himself watching both everyday.

Today he had two goals in mind. First he wished to speak with the giant Russian man. While the muscular man seemed quiet and even-tempered, such powerful limbs made him nervous. If he pressed the wrong buttons here he risked getting broken in half, or so he feared. And second he wished to speak with the French thief. He was very curious about this man, what would this group have to do with a man who made a living stealing from others? Hopefully he could get a better feel for these two after he spoke with them if not turn them into friends.

As soon as the bottom edge of the sun left the horizon he slunk out of his cover and scampered down to camp. The others were only just beginning to stir at this hour so he took care of the horses while he waited for breakfast. He took very good care of every horse except Phantom. Kitty had made it quite clear to him that that mare was off limits to him and unless he heard otherwise he wasn't going to try anything. After re-saddling and packing up all the horses and their gear the call went out for breakfast. He left the horses tied to their places and hurried to get some food.

He took a seat near Piotr instead of Kitty for a change. The sooner he went through with this the better. They all ate in silence and Nightcrawler could feel the speculative gazes rest on him. This was a break in his routine; normally he'd sit with Kitty and pester her until it was time to get going. That's how it always went and now that he'd done something new they all were wondering why. Then Bobby didn't pay attention to the log he was adding to the fire and burned his hand. This took the focus off Nightcrawler and gave him the opportunity he'd hoped for.

"_Guten Morgen._" Nightcrawler cordially greeted, completely ignoring Bobby's overly dramatic wails and moans.

"Good morning." The massive Russian rumbled back in his deep voice.

"How are you this fine morning?" The German asked politely.

"I am well, and you?" Colossus inquired.

"I am fine." Nightcrawler replied.

"Is there something that you want me to do?" Piotr asked.

"Could you answer a question?" The Cursed German wondered.

"It depends on the question." The muscular Russian answered.

"Fair enough." Nightcrawler agreed. "So how did you end up with English people?" He asked.

"That is a very long story." Piotr replied.

"I don't mind." Nightcrawler said. Piotr studied him for a long moment before slipping into his tale.

"Well, when I was younger my family was very poor so I joined the Russian army to try and make more money than I could by farming. I had only just finished what little training was required when my group was sent out on an assignment. We were sent to an area that I was not familiar with and then a terrible blizzard blew in. I became separated from my unit and wandered for many days in a snowy wasteland. When I did encounter a small village I did not speak their language and they were afraid of me. They tried to drive me away and somehow my Curse emerged and made things even worse. I wandered the countryside without purpose or direction for months trapped in my metal body. Then a special German knight found me and arranged for me to be sent to England and Lord Xavier. Lord Xavier took me in and gave me a new home and purpose. That is why I am with them now." Piotr explained.

"That is an interesting tale, but why didn't you return to your family?" Nightcrawler asked curiously.

"I thought about it many times early on, but now I have decided to never go back. I have been away far too long to ever return. To them I have died long ago and if I were to suddenly reappear they would be frightened and confused. And they are better off without me. I was one very large mouth to feed and I was never a good farmer. They no longer need to concern themselves with feeding me and can focus on others. I no longer belong in Russia; I belong with my new English family where I am useful and welcome." Piotr replied.

"I see." The German mumbled to himself.

Seconds later Logan called for them to break camp. Nightcrawler scampered off to his horse without another word to the Russian. His main question was answered and he had plenty of time to ask any others that might appear in his mind. He was beginning to understand how this odd group of seemingly random individuals came together. As they formed up into a line he found himself wishing that he was one of them. If this Lord Xavier would take in a metallic golem of a Russian on the suggestion of a German knight, why not take in a blue-furred demonic beast? But unlike the Russian man, he still had a home and a family who looked after him. Could he leave his father and his extended family behind forever as Piotr had? No matter how long he thought about it he was unable to come to an answer.

* * *

Remy sat a little ways off from the group sharpening one of his knives during the last half of the lunch break. Bobby's suspicious ramblings and far-fetched theories were wearing on the Frenchman's nerves so he had taken to avoiding the ice-wielder whenever possible. And since he wasn't particularly close with any other member of this rag-tag little band he had no reason or compulsion to sit near anyone else. So he sat on the fringe and observed, his favorite past-time aside from stealing. And from his many observations he had learned much.

He knew many of the group's telling habits and routines. He would watch from the shadows as Logan would disappear to hunt small game to add to their food stores and make special note of how he would scent the air like a hound before vanishing. He studied how the massive Russian man Piotr would seem to meditate every morning and evening as if he were reflecting on the days and thinking of the future. He watched as the fire-haired woman called Jean was aware of everything that happened within the camp. The way she carried herself as she moved told him that she was of a noble clan and made her presence all the more interesting. Bobby seemed to simply blunder around until he was fully awake, which on one occasion took all day. And Kitty moved about her business quietly with an air of secrecy and mystery.

But the person who fascinated Remy most was the creature known as Nightcrawler. What he did in the early mornings and evenings was something of a mystery. He would vanish into the brush or up into a tree and return an hour or so later without giving any hint as to where he'd gone or what he'd done. While he seemed open and friendly to a fault, he could be even more secretive than Kitty if certain subjects came up. And then there was his odd attachment to the brown-haired maiden. He followed her around like a loving loyal puppy and did his best to win her over, which was a difficult feat.

And now this particular morning he had defied the one routine that Remy knew of though he didn't understand. He'd abandoned his usual seat near Kitty to eat near the burly Russian. When Logan, Jean, and Kitty were distracted by Bobby's theatrics Remy had seen the enigmatic German engage Piotr in some conversation. What was said the French thief didn't know, but it didn't really matter. What the Cursed German was doing was forming new connections beyond the mysterious one he seemed to have with Kitty. He was figuring things out and trying to improve his standings with the group. While the blue fur-ball put on a silly stupid act similar to Bobby's, he was really an intelligent individual.

"_Guten__ Tag!_" Nightcrawler chirped, dropping out of the tree that Remy was sitting under. The cool French thief didn't jump like Bobby might've in the same situation, he'd heard a few creaking branches a few seconds before hand that gave him some warning of the demon's arrival.

"_Bonjour._" Remy greeted in return not looking up from his sharp dagger.

"How are you this fine afternoon?" The blue demon politely inquired.

"Remy is well, now what is it that you want?" The thief asked, getting straight to the point.

"Why do you follow these people?" Nightcrawler asked bluntly.

"Because they're interesting and Remy has nothing better to do." The Frenchman replied shortly.

"Why is that? One would think that a thief would always be busy." The German wondered.

"Remy got in some trouble and needed some time away for a while." Gambit answered.

"What are you doing?" Bobby demanded having wandered over to find his French companion.

"Just talking, is that a crime?" Nightcrawler asked innocently, picking at a nearby weed nervously. Bobby gave him a hard suspicious look.

"You're up to something." The Iceman declared.

"Really, what?" The demon inquired.

"I don't know, but I'll find out." The English boy scowled.

"Bobby, what are you doing?" Kitty asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Getting some answers." The ice boy answered with obviously forced cheerfulness.

"Is he bothering you?" Kitty asked a mildly stunned Nightcrawler.

"_Ja_" The Cursed German replied quietly.

"Well he won't be anymore, come Bobby." Kitty commanded, grabbing the young man by the ear and dragging him off by it.

The Nightcrawler sat in complete shock for a full minute after Kitty and the annoying Bobby had departed. Then a happy silly grin appeared on his blue furry face and his tail lashed back and forth like an excited puppy's. He skittered off looking absolutely ecstatic leaving Remy behind in the shadows once more. This Cursed German was very strange, a puzzle whose solution still evaded him. The allure of stealing this mysterious object that the English people sought was strong, but the curiosity surrounding this enigma of a man was just as powerful. Even if they never found these Destiny Scrolls he'd still follow this group to the ends of the earth to learn the blue devil's great secret.


	32. Welcome to Nurnberg

**Chapter 31**

**Welcome to Nürnberg**

One week of riding through the highlands of southern Germania had worn the group ragged. In the beginning, such a short interval wouldn't have done much to them, but things had changed since then. Now they had two new members, three if you counted Lockheed, and they had more questions about each other than answers. With Bobby's constant pestering of Nightcrawler and Kitty's near constant interventions there was rarely any peace. The tension between those three was fast becoming a permanent fixture in their lives and if something wasn't done soon they feared that an actual fight might break out between the two boys.

But thankfully they had reached a new city and they would split up once more. Nightcrawler would keep the little dragon company in the wilds surrounding the town and the rest of them would enter and seek information concerning the Scrolls. Maybe after a break of a week or so things would cool down and resolve themselves without Logan and Jean needing to intervene. Well, that's what they hoped would happen, whether that scenario would actually occur was unknown. If it didn't they were going to force the three of them to sit down and talk things out so that they could have their little issues resolved.

When the distant buildings of Nürnberg the older members breathed a deep sigh of relief. Kitty handed off a much better behaved Lockheed to a waiting Nightcrawler and waved good-bye to both of them as they pulled away. Bobby gave the Cursed German a nasty suspicious look, but thankfully said nothing to him. Logan merely grunted a simple farewell as he steered his horse out of the stand of trees and towards the city. Jean simply glanced in the blue one's direction before she left him behind. Piotr gave the demon a little more attention, a longer look and a brief wave, as he followed his friends away. And Remy gave him a polite nod as he brought up the rear.

After leaving behind their Cursed guide the group rode into Nürnberg and quickly found a suitable inn. Kitty and Jean were placed in charge of stabling the horses, Bobby and Piotr carried their things into the rooms, and Logan and Remy worked on negotiating the price for everything. Once all that was settled they could sit down for a quick warm meal and let all the stresses of the past week fade away. And after that there would be the quick customary meeting followed by time off for the rest of the day. Then tomorrow the work would begin.

"This is the best soup I've had in weeks!" Bobby cried with boyish enthusiasm as he swallowed another hot spoonful of hot broth.

"Yes, it's very good soup Bobby, but the whole room doesn't need you shouting about it to know that." Kitty grumbled.

"Aw, come on Kitty, cheer up. We're out of the wilderness in a good inn with great food. There's no reason to be cranky." Bobby protested.

"I'm not cranky, I'm mad, at you." Kitty growled.

"Why? What did I do?" Bobby asked.

"You know perfectly well what you did, you did it all week and I'm not about to forgive for it." Kitty replied coolly.

"I don't understand, what did I do?" Bobby complained.

"You kept harassing Nightcrawler for no reason whatsoever and I had to keep dragging you off." Kitty snapped icily.

"He's up to something and if you'd left me alone I would know what." Iceman claimed.

"Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't, if it was anything dangerous Logan or Jean would've found out about it and kicked him out long before he could do any harm." Kitty replied.

Bobby opened a closed his mouth a few times, but it was obvious that he had no answer to that statement. Rolling her eyes at the boy's stupidity Kitty stalked off to try and cool down. Jean sighed and followed her leaving all the men clustered around the round table with their empty soups bowls. Kitty rushed up the stairs to their rooms with Jean close behind. The phantom girl walked straight through the door to her room not caring who happened to see her do it. Once inside she stomped over to her bed and fell backwards onto it with an exasperated grunt. _When did he get so stubborn and paranoid?_

"He's always been stubborn and you know when he became overly suspicious." Jean replied to Kitty's unuttered question.

"That was a rhetorical question Jean." Kitty sighed.

"I know, but I heard it and felt compelled to reply." The red-head teased.

"Do you always do what you're 'compelled' to do?" Kitty idly asked.

"No, only sometimes." Jean replied, completely serious.

"So is anything important being discussed down there?" Kitty wondered. Jean paused and her eyes closed as she scanned the minds of their companions.

"No, Bobby's fuming and Logan, Piotr, and Remy are just watching him." Jean answered.

"Wonderful." Kitty snorted, sitting up to look at Jean.

"So, why the change of heart?" Jean asked changing the subject.

"What?" Kitty asked, a bit lost with the sudden shift of topic.

"Before you didn't get along with Nightcrawler at all, now you defend him against Bobby." Jean explained.

"Ah, good question, I'm not really sure what the answer is myself." Kitty replied.

"Oh?" Jean prompted.

"I guess he's starting to grow on me. While he is annoying and infuriating, there's something else about him. Something that reminds me…" Kitty trailed off.

"…Of your husband?" Jean supplied, not even needing to read Kitty's mind to know what the answer was. The lost sad look of longing said it all.

"Yeah." Kitty mumbled and wandered over to the room's only window. "Oh no." She gasped.

"What is it?" Jean asked concerned, as she moved to join Kitty in looking out the window.

"Look." Kitty whispered, pointing to a small group of men moving through the crowded street below them.

Jean followed her friend's finger and focused on the group in question. They were a small band of soldiers. They wore glittering chain-mail beneath a red and white tunic that displayed the crest of the noble house that they served. The crest was a white serpent coiled around a black sword on top of a red and white shield. There was some Latin phrase on the crest too, but they were too far away to be able to read it. They didn't need to read it though; the design alone was distinctive enough. These soldiers belonged to Lord Grauhard. If that man wasn't here yet, he would be soon. Either way, things just got a lot more complicated.

* * *

Nightcrawler yawned and stretched before settling back against the trunk of the tree that he was currently perched in. The tiny dragon known as Lockheed yawned as well as he curled up in the Cursed German's lap. Somewhere below them the blue devil fancied that he heard Schwarzi the mighty black stallion yawned as he settled in for the night. The sun had set over an hour ago and the only light left was from the nearly full moon and the faint flickering stars. The only sounds came from the many insects that now felt safe enough to reveal their presence with the day birds asleep. The chirping of crickets was soothing and soon it would lull the Nightcrawler into dreamland, but not just yet.

It looked like Nürnberg would be the closest they would be going to his home. He couldn't be sure of course, they could travel further east. But he doubted that, if he wanted to perform a quick but through search of the country he would head north after this current stop. So after they left here he would leave home behind for God-only-knows how long until their business would be complete. He was over a month overdue to return home now and if he didn't either stop by for a brief visit or send some word back his father would probably think he'd died out in the forest somewhere.

So what should he do? Ride three days straight to reach Regensburg and another day to his father's land to speak with his parent personally and ride four days back and hope they haven't left without him. Or, he could slip into Nürnberg and send a letter to his father. All that riding would be hard on both him and Schwarzi and it would confuse poor Lockheed, and then there was the risk of being left behind. The letter was obviously the better choice, but he risked being seen by the wrong people. He thought long and hard on the issue before deciding.

Nürnberg was a decent sized city with many large crowds to get lost in. If he was careful and quick the chances of getting caught were slim to none. Once he'd written and paid for the letter he would be free to move on with the group while his message was relayed on to his father. It was by far the better of the two options. So that was what he was going to do. He would head into the city from a different direction than they had, find a runner post that would carry his letter, and he would slip out as soon as he could. In the morning, he would go. With a deep sigh, Nightcrawler closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	33. AmberEyed Stranger

**Chapter 32**

**Amber-Eyed Stranger**

The air was smoky and stank of stale alcohol, but Bobby didn't care. Before him on the deeply scratched and heavily stained counter sat an enormous mug of beer that was about half full at the moment. He was sitting in a German tavern, he thought they called them beer halls, that he'd found yesterday while walking the streets with Piotr in search of information. They'd come up empty as always and by now Bobby was beginning to doubt that they would ever find the elusive artifacts. Today happened to be Wednesday and a day that Logan had declared free time, they all could do whatever they wanted so long as they didn't get into trouble, so he'd come here to relax and forget.

He'd only just started his first mug, it might take a few more to make him forget completely, but at least after finishing this one he would be a bit number to the world. With a deep sigh he lifted the heavy mug to his mouth and downed another large bitter gulp. This was the cheapest, nastiest tasting brew he'd ever had the misfortune to drink, but it wasn't the flavor or quality that he was after, just the effects. By the end of this drinking binge he would forget everything and be in a blissful fantasy world where everything went his way.

He wouldn't remember this nightmare quest and all the myriad misfortunes it entailed. He would forget that Kitty was married to some absent deadbeat and that she didn't love him. He would forget his pain and loneliness for a few blissful hours until the drinks effects wore off and left him miserable once more. But for a few hours of forgotten bliss the hangover would be more than worth it. He would be free of all his worries and concerns and he could pour all his pain out leaving him refreshed, after recovering from the hangover, and ready to move on with things.

However, at the moment he was still chained to the present, a place he didn't want to be part of or aware of. Kitty was not just unattainable, now she had turned her back on him. She was on the side of the demonic Nightcrawler now. The Cursed creature that had saved him had turned around and stolen Kitty's friendship from him. How could she trust that foreign man over him? She'd known him for a few years and this stranger only a month or so. He knew that the Nightcrawler was up to something. The blue-furred beast had an unhealthy interest in Kitty and that could only lead to trouble down the road.

Desperate to banish the dark thoughts, in fact all the thoughts, from his mind he took another huge gulp from his mug. Every sip brought him closer to his goal. It added a layer of fuzziness to his vision and brain and softened the distinctions to his feelings. If only the haze of forgetfulness that drinking spirits caused could last forever. Then he'd never have any troubles in his life again. Life would be simple, wondrous bliss; it would be something worth living. Just as he was about to drain the mug, some random patron blundered into him and made him spill that last of his drink all over himself.

"Hey, watch where you're going you moron!" Bobby shouted irately.

His shout was met with an angry Germanic retort that made his blood run cold. The words meant nothing to him; it was the men who responded that made him pale. He might be slightly drunk from his one large beer, but the men who stood before him sobered him up instantly. They were some of Lord Grauhard's soldiers in full uniform with swords hanging at their waists. They'd heard him speak English and harass one of their fellows so they had more than enough reason to spill his innards all over the floor this very second.

Before his terrified mind could break free from its paralysis the five powerful men had him by the shoulders and were dragging him out of the beer hall. As they emerged into the bright midday sunlight Bobby found himself half-blinded and his increased stumbling only made the soldiers more angry. They shouted all manner of Germanic curses at him that were all the more frightening to him because he couldn't understand a word of it. They pulled him into an alley next to the tavern and forced him onto his knees. Two of them held his hands behind his back, a third pressed a foot onto his ankles, and a fourth drew his wickedly sharp sword as the fifth stood by with a cold smile. He was going to die.

Suddenly, just as the sword-wielder was about to decapitate him, another man appeared and interrupted them. At first glance the man was either a rich peasant or a poor merchant. His clothes, while clean and well made, were very simple. This new man was young looking with light skin and pure black hair that had an odd bluish sheen to it. He looked poor but he stood and behaved like a very important person as he argued with the fifth soldier. Bobby wasn't in a good enough position to see the man's face, but from his voice and gestures he didn't look happy. While half-numbed by terror Bobby was still able to wonder, _what the heck is going on?_

Then, to his utter surprise and shock, he was released. The soldiers dragged him to his feet and threw him at the black-haired man. His legs seemed broken from the fear and being stepped on so he ended up collapsing at the young man's feet. He was pulled back up on his feet a second time and he was yanked out of the alley and down the street by this mysterious man. Bobby limped and stumbled after his savior gasping in pain and bewilderment. Who was this man? How did he convince the soldiers to let him go? What was going to happen to him now? His mind raced for answers, but his thoughts only went in endless circles.

A few streets later the man tossed him down to the ground and glared at him as if he were a disgusting pile of slime. Bobby shakily looked up from the ground to meet the glare and was confronted by the oddest, most terrifying eyes he'd ever seen. They were an icy yellowish amber and they pinned his soul to the dusty ground with minimal effort. What sort of man has such eyes? He found himself trembling more than when he'd had a sword near his neck. No wonder the soldiers had released him, no one could defy this man's demon eyes. Then, with a snarl of complete disgust, the man turned and stalked away.

"_Dummkopf!_" The man shouted over his shoulder before vanishing around a bend.

Bobby sat sprawled on the ground in total shock for some minor eternity trying to understand what had just occurred. Sometime later his jumbled thoughts ordered themselves enough to get him back on his feet and staggering back to the inn. It would be safe at the inn; he could sit there and think without fear of the soldiers returning to chop his head off. He must've looked half mad the way he stumbled and weaved about the street, but in his current state of mind he didn't care one bit. All he cared about was getting to the inn.

When he tripped through the door Logan was there. The feral man took one look at him and helped him up the stairs to his room. By the time he had laid down and tried to calm himself everyone had rushed to his side, even Kitty. Jean must've organized this, or perhaps no one but him had left the inn. They may have stayed inside to avoid running into Grauhard's soldiers, he wished that he had done the same. They crowded around him, their faces all very concerned, but he couldn't get his mind in order to respond to them.

"Kid," Logan growled. "What happened to you?" He demanded.

"I-I was in a tavern." Bobby began. This comment was met with sighs, groans, and assorted nasty looks. "I didn't even get drunk! I was just minding my own business when some guy bumps into me and spills my beer. I yelled at him and then I see it's one of Grauhard's soldiers." Iceman gasped out.

"Oh God Bobby! You moron!" Kitty cried.

"I didn't see who it was until it was too late!" He protested. "That soldier and his buddies dragged me into an alley and they were going to kill me! Then this strange man comes over and argues with them. The soldiers let me go and this man drags me off in some other direction before letting me go." Bobby murmured, still in shock from the whole chain of events.

"Did he say anything to you?" Logan grunted.

"Yeah, he shouted '_dummkopf' _at me." Bobby mumbled.

"Well I would have to agree with him, whoever he is." Kitty giggled.

"Why, what did he say?" Piotr asked.

"He called Bobby an idiot." She snickered.

"What did this man look like?" Jean inquired. Bobby felt himself pale.

"I didn't get the best look at him. He looked like a poor merchant or a very well off servant. He had black hair and the most terrifying eyes I've ever seen." Bobby whimpered.

"Scarier than Remy's?" The Frenchman teased.

"Yes," Bobby swallowed hard. "His eyes were so cold and angry, and they were an unnatural color. A sort of yellow amber." Bobby said in a near whisper.

As soon as the words left his mouth Kitty became deathly pale. She straightened up and left the room without any warning or explanation. Jean followed after her a second later while the men watched on with concern. Logan asked Bobby a few more questions, but terror had blurred the rest of the details so the Iceman found himself unable to answer them. With no Grauhard soldiers appearing in the doorway the adrenaline faded from his blood and an incredible tiredness. The others left him alone and within seconds of the door shutting he fell into a sleep troubled by yellow angry eyes.

* * *

The little dragon Lockheed crouched in the treetop near the large black horse Nightcrawler called Schwarzi. His large blue fuzzy friend had promised to return within one hour and vanished into the city on some important errand. The little purple dragon was very nervous and had to struggle to keep his nostrils from smoking. He didn't know how long an hour was, but he was sure that it had passed by now. It seemed highly unlikely that his blue friend would abandon his great black horse, but who was he to judge humans?

The first time he'd trusted a man he'd ended up with a magic collar and chain binding him to the ground. The only reason that he'd survived his encounter with the nasty wizard at all was that he'd set the man's head on fire and forced him to run away. However the magic chain had still bound him and he thought he was going to die. But Kitty had come and freed him. She had kept her promise to return so far, and she treated him very well. When she went away to the human cities she left him with the wonderful Nightcrawler who'd kept him company. But now the blue Nightcrawler had left him too and he wasn't sure what to do.

Then a sound reached his sensitive pointed ears and his sharp yellow eyes scoured his surroundings. Within seconds he spotted his blue friend and with a cry of happiness flew to his side. When he saw the Nightcrawler's expression, however, he pulled up short. The demon man was furious and his aura smelled of a spell. Humans couldn't smell magic like dragons could. Even wizards needed special items to detect spells unless they were the direct recipient of one. This odor put Lockheed on edge, the last time he'd smelled it he'd had an invisible collar wrapped around his neck.

But Nightcrawler ignored his presence. The blue furry creature stomped over to his horse and wrapped his arms around Schwarzi's neck. The furry man hissed some mean sounding words and his tail lashed dangerously through the air. Lockheed nervously landed on a nearby tree stump and waited to see what would happen next. After many minutes of cursing and cussing Nightcrawler finally seemed to relax and he released his horse's neck. The black stallion made some comforting noises and nibbled on his master, which further calmed the furious demon. Now in a better mood, he looked around and finally noticed Lockheed cowering on the dead tree stump.

"Hello little one," he purred. "I'm sorry if my little temper tantrum frightened you." The demon softly apologized. Lockheed studied his blue friend carefully before slowly fluttering over to him. He cocked his purple scaled head in question after perching on the man's shoulder.

"Why was I so angry? Well, Bobby just did something very, very stupid and I had to save him again." The Nightcrawler sighed. "But everything should be fine now so lets have some lunch." The German cheerfully suggested. Lockheed heartily chirped in agreement. Food sounded wonderful to him, much better than hearing anymore about Bobby's stupidity. He saw enough of that everyday that they traveled.


	34. To the North and East

**Chapter 33**

**To the North and East**

It was dark and silent as they rode away very early the next day. Because of Bobby's run-in with the soldiers it wasn't safe for them to stay any longer; they had to move on early. Last time that they'd left before dawn only Logan had been completely awake, now they all were. The reason for that was that no one had slept much, if at all, last night. Everyone had sat with their own fears, concerns, and thoughts haunting their thoughts, keeping their minds fully awake and aware. They all thought that they were the only ones who had spent the night hours awake, but Jean knew better.

All night she'd scanned their minds lightly, reading only surface thoughts and emotions, to try and understand what was going on. She checked on Bobby the most. He got the most sleep of them all, but that sleep was haunted by memories of his disastrous encounter with Grauhard's soldiers. She watched as he replayed the scene distorted by his fear over and over, either ending with him losing his head or the cold glaring yellow eyes of the man who saved his life for no apparent reason. Both Jean and Bobby wondered who the man was and why he'd done what he'd done.

Between visiting Bobby's nightmares, Jean looked in on the other men of the group. Piotr theorized that perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity. Maybe the strange man thought that Bobby was someone he knew and was able to convince the soldiers of it so they would let him go. Remy wasn't sure about the reason for Bobby's rescue, he was more concerned with the stranger's eyes. He felt mildly insulted that Bobby found the stranger's eyes more frightening than his own black and red ones. Logan was just as in the dark as the rest of them, but he'd had Lord Xavier in his head enough to know what a mind-scan felt like so he knew instantly when Jean paid him a visit. She told him what she'd learned from the others but they'd never been able to come up with any definite answers.

Jean put off looking in on Kitty until the very last hour before they left. Jean still felt some lingering guilt from when she'd pressured Kitty into her revelations, so she was reluctant to peer into her younger friend's mind. But in the end her curiosity won out and Jean took a quick scan so that she would have a better idea of what everyone thought of this odd event. Jean recalled Kitty's odd reaction to Bobby's vague description of the man and hoped that her quick peek would provide an answer. It did and yet it only brought more questions.

The first and clearest image that Jean received was of a boy. His appearance danced along the line between cute and handsome. He had a gentle loving smile that made his whole face seem to glow. The emotions that Jean sensed were connected to this simple image were deep and complex. There was a vast sea of affection infused with an aching longing and perhaps even a touch of desire. But that's not the thing that grabbed Jean's attention. What really sent her for a loop was the boy's eyes. They were a nearly an exact match for the eyes of the stranger that saved Bobby. The only difference was the emotion and expression.

Jean left Kitty's mind immediately before she was tempted to dig deeper to discover the boy's identity. The red-haired woman decided to ask Kitty about him later and let her imagination churn out various theories to occupy her mind until it was time to leave. Perhaps the boy was some childhood friend that she had been smitten with at one time. Or maybe he was a distant attractive cousin that she knew from family gatherings during the holidays. Maybe he was a servant boy that was employed by her family and she had met him during some chore or punishment. The possibilities were endless and Jean was still pondering them all now.

_(Jean?) _A hesitant thought tickled at Jean's consciousness.

_(Yes Kitty, what is it?) _Jean asked back distractedly.

_(You looked at some of my thoughts didn't you?) _Kitty softly accused. Jean blinked in surprise.

_(How did you know? I only peeked in for a second.) _Jean wondered.

_(I know you Jean. With all that's happened in the past day you'd want to know how everyone is taking it. Sooner or later you would've gotten to me too. I'd be highly surprised if you didn't look.) _Kitty replied.

_(Are you angry with me?) _Jean asked a bit fearfully.

_(No, if I were in your place I would've done the same.) _Kitty admitted.

_(Glad to know that I'm not the only one who suffers from the effects of curiosity.) _Jean giggled a little, greatly relieved that she wasn't in trouble again.

_(So have you guessed who he is?)_Kitty asked almost teasingly.

_(Oh I have plenty of guesses, I just don't know if any of them are right.) _Jean replied and showed Kitty every theory, no matter how silly it seemed. Kitty almost laughed out loud at what she saw.

_(I'm sorry Jean, but none of those are right.) _Kitty laughed.

_(Well then who is he?) _Jean asked in complete frustration.

_(Who haven't you guessed yet?) _Kitty questioned in return. Jean swallowed a growl and thought hard. Suddenly an incredible possibility occurred to her.

_(He's your husband.) _Jean sighed and the surge of emotion she detected confirmed that statement before Kitty consciously responded.

_(Yes, he is. And I would guess that he's the same as the man that saved Bobby.) _Kitty stated.

_(I would have to agree, but how did you come to that conclusion?) _Jean wondered.

_(There are very few people with eyes like his, I've never encountered any other man with such eyes. And I know from personal experience that he can be quite terrifying when he sets his mind to it.) _Kitty answered with some ghostly traces of humor.

_(Sounds like there are some interesting stories behind that comment.) _Jean mused thoughtfully. (_But I want to know is why he was there and why he helped Bobby.)_

_(I wish I knew. I don't know him like you know Scott, I can't predict much of anything that he does.) _Kitty sadly admitted.

Before their conversation could advance any further there was a chirping cry and Lockheed appeared. The little purple beast fluttered out of the trees and landed on Kitty's shoulder with a small cry of joy. This quickly severed the mental link between the two women as Kitty became focused on her pet dragon. Jean settled back in her saddle and tried to relax with little success. Now she knew who the boy was, but that knowledge gave birth to a whole new set of questions. She'd never been able to stand being left in the dark, she always had to know as much as she could otherwise the curiosity would overwhelm her. _The clouds seem quite fluffy today, I wonder if it will rain…_

* * *

Kitty sat by the campfire deep in thought. Lockheed was curled in her lap nearly asleep while she mechanically stroked his soft leathery wings. The little dragon didn't seem to mind that she wasn't really paying attention to him, not that Kitty really noticed that either. She was completely immersed in her own thoughts and was oblivious to the falling of night and the dying of the fire. She was unaware of the others as they curled up and went to sleep. All she paid attention to were the twisting paths that her thoughts went along.

Kurt had saved Bobby from an untimely end, she was sure of that. But why had he done that? He'd never met Bobby before, so why would he care if Grauhard's soldiers decided to decapitate some random English boy? Why would he put himself at risk to help some complete stranger? What had he been doing in Nürnberg in the first place? She had so many questions and no answers. To say that she was frustrated was a serious understatement. But she didn't waste the energy exploding over it; instead she focused on putting pieces together.

One thing that stuck out in her mind as she sorted memories and events in her head was something quite recent. Nightcrawler hadn't spoken to her, or anyone else really, all day. She'd barely even seen him during the day, the only glimpse she'd had of him was at dinner. Lately he'd been meeting with others, but he's still made some time to be with her. Never had he ever avoided her the way he was now. And then at dinner when he seemed to think that no one was looking he gave Bobby the dirtiest look she'd ever seen him give. What this sudden odd behavior meant was a mystery, but hopefully it wouldn't remain so for long. As Kitty finally drifted off to sleep she made two goals for herself, to figure out what exactly had happened in Nürnberg and to learn what exactly had set Nightcrawler off.


	35. Der Hartz

**Chapter 34**

**Der Hartz**

The world is full of questions, and human beings spend their whole lives seeking answers to those questions. Why is the sky blue? How is it that birds fly? What happens to us when we die? What are clouds made of? Why do the seasons change? How do the seasons change? Where do babies come from? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does a storm destroy one home and leave another nearby untouched? What is love? What is the meaning of existence? Is there a higher power? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell?

However, these were not the questions that plagued Katharine Pryde-Wagner's mind. She had more immediate concerns, like what was up with Nightcrawler. Ever since they had left Nürnberg he'd been acting rather odd. He was now strangely nervous around her and was starting to avoid everyone. When he thought no one was watching him he would glare coldly at Bobby's back. He spoke little to anyone and his mood shifted from anxious to dark and broody. Even little Lockheed was growing concerned by this inexplicable shift in temperament. What had happened while they were away to turn the cheery rascal into a moody dark creature.

Then there was the mystery of the man who saved Bobby's life. She was certain that the stranger was her absent husband, the way he was described left no doubt in her mind. Amber colored eyes were a rarity; the only person she'd ever seen in her life with such eyes was Kurt. She also knew all about the glares that he was capable of projecting. She'd been on the receiving end of his nasty looks more times than she could count and from Bobby's reaction she knew that it had to be him. And then there was his choice in clothing. The stranger was said to wear simple, plain clothes like a low-level merchant yet he had great influence over Lord Grauhard's guards. Kurt had hated formal dress. Every chance he had he ran around in simple clothes, usually without shoes, and he whine horribly when forced to dress nicer. And since he was the son of a Count the guards would have to obey him or risk a new bloody feud with their heads the first to roll.

Her next question sent her back to the issue of Nightcrawler. For a demonic Cursed man he seemed rather well-off despite his strict avoidance of other people. He had a very nice horse that had more business being in a Lord's possession than belonging to him. The saddle that he used, while simply in design and lacking any decoration, was made of fine leather and was of sturdy construction, something that a well-to-do merchant might own. His clothes were the same as the saddle, simple, plain, but well made, once again something that a merchant might own. His sword was of very high quality and would at the very least belong to a rich knight. It lacked flashy decoration, but was made more for battle than show and it was quite effective. And he never seemed to need food while they were away.

The simple answer to this mystery was that he stole everything. With his swift agility and stealth it would be a simple matter for him to sneak into a rich merchant or lesser noble's estate and take what he wanted. And if he was somehow spotted they would mistake him for the devil and be frozen in terror giving him the time necessary to make his escape. It made sense, it was possible, but Kitty couldn't bring herself to believe it. Somehow his personality didn't seem to fit in the mold of a thief. Remy was a life-long thief and his behavior and attitude were not terribly similar to Nightcrawler's. So if he wasn't a thief, how did he get these things?

And then her thoughts would drift back to Kurt and a set of very old questions. Why had he gone away so sudden without telling her? He had promised her that he would be right back and he always kept his promises unless some outside force prevented him. Why didn't he try to write her or pass some sort of message? She knew that he was literate in both German and English and was perfectly capable of composing a letter. What were her parents hiding from her about his mysterious disappearance? From their behavior she knew that they knew important pieces of information, but they had always refused to tell her what she wanted to know. Was her marriage to him still valid? They had been too young to officially consummate their joining at the time of their wedding so that one part had been postponed until they were old enough. Kitty had almost been old enough, almost been ready for that part, but then he vanished.

A soft cheeping sound and gentle nip on her ear brought her out of her ponderings and back into the present. She looked over to see that Lockheed was perched on her shoulder looking rather concerned. She sighed and gentled rubbed her little pet's soft scaly hide. Lockheed's scales were just like a snake's, soft and smooth. How did she know what a snake's scales felt like? She had touched one before. How is that she, a female who wasn't into anything occult or unnatural, touched a snake? Kurt had dared her to do it. He had caught a snake and teased, poked, and prodded her until she touched it and kept her hand on it for nearly a minute. Even now she could remember it…

* * *

"Katharine, _wo bist du?_" A young boy's voice called out in German.

Katharine sat perfectly still hidden in some flowering bushes in her family's garden. She didn't make a sound and completely ignored the repeated calls for her to appear. She had no desire to see, or be in the company of, that particular boy, not now or ever. The boy kept calling and calling for her, sometimes he was closer to her hiding place, sometimes he was further away. Hopefully he would tire of his search soon and leave her alone. But life once more decided to be cruel to her. Suddenly the boy who had been seeking her leapt into her bushy green sanctuary and nearly scared her to death.

"Found you!" The boy cried happily.

"Kurt, you cretin! You scared me!" Katharine shrieked indignantly at the grinning boy.

"Oh come now Katharine, I've been calling and calling for you. There is no way that I could have surprised you that much." Kurt teased seating himself directly across from her.

"I heard you." She grumbled resettling her skirt which had been rumpled when Kurt had made her start in fright.

"Well then, why didn't you come out to see what I wanted?" He asked curiously giving her complete attention.

"Because I wished to be left alone and untroubled by your trivial ideas of entertainment." She replied in a haughty tone edged with ice.

"You wound me." He sighed sadly, adding dramatic gestures for effect.

"I speak only the truth." She mocked.

"Do you now?" He asked skeptically. Katharine shivered at his odd piercing stare.

"So what dull matter do you seek me out for?" She demanded, suddenly finding a fallen flower petal absolutely fascinating.

"Come with me and you will see!" Kurt crowed, giggling at his own rhyme.

Katharine rolled her eyes at the Germanic boy's foolish antics and slowly rose to obediently follow her 'husband' like any good 'wife' should. Again she had to roll her eyes at the thought of them being husband and wife. As she watched him frolic about like a peasant simpleton she couldn't help but find him a disgrace to his station. Here he was, bouncing around in peasant attire and without any shoes of any sort. He was the son of a Germanic count, a product of a noble bloodline with great prestige and power, running about like a poor simpleton. It was absolutely disgusting. Lance was nothing at all like this pathetic idiot.

Before Katharine had any time to indulge in any romantic fantasies involving herself and Lance they apparently arrived at their destination. Kurt gleefully scampered up to an overturned basket and crouched beside it. He carefully peered under one edge of it before beckoning her over with one hand. With a tired sigh she moved in a stately glide to stand next to him and see just what he had beneath the basket. Very slowly he reached under the basket and an odd smile appeared on his face. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he presented her with the thing that had been hidden under the woven wicker container. It was a green striped garter snake.

"Ahh, get it away from me!" Katharine shrieked, terrified of the legless reptile.

"Why? It's just a little harmless snake." Kurt asked innocently.

"It's vile and disgusting!" Katharine wailed, backing away from the writhing snake.

"How is it vile and disgusting? It looks just like any other snake that I've seen around here." He replied, still feigning innocence.

"It's a snake! Snakes are filthy, slimy, evil creatures. How can you stand to touch that thing?" She squeaked.

"It's not filthy, or evil, or slimy, it's just a snake. Here, come touch it and see." He said, holding out the snake towards her.

"Touch it? I'm not going to touch it!" She squealed in horror.

"Why not? Are you afraid that you're wrong about it?" Kurt challenged.

"I'm not wrong and I'm not going to touch it!" She snapped.

"I say that you are wrong and you are afraid." He replied, sounding smug and superior.

"No I am not!" She snapped back.

"Yes you are." He smirked.

"No I'm not!" She cried.

"Yes you are." He teased in a sing-song tone.

"I'm not!" She almost screamed.

"Prove it then, touch it." He challenged.

"Fine." She snarled.

A few seconds later her mind caught up with what she had just agreed to do, but there was no escape. Nervously she reached out one hand as Kurt brought the snake up to her fingers. She couldn't help but squeak when the snake's scales touched her fingertips, but once the shock wore off she was pleasantly surprised. The snake wasn't grimy of slimy like she had always been told they were. The scales felt strangely soft and smooth and the snake felt quite cool. There were powerful muscles beneath the scales, proving that the creature was no weakling push-over, but Kurt kept the creature under control so that she could touch it without worrying that it would swing around and bite her. _So I am wrong, this isn't so bad after all…_

* * *

A low whistle jolted Kitty out of her little flashback. The trees around them had opened up some to reveal a starkly beautiful scene of tall mountains just ahead of them. They were _die Hartzbergen, _the most northerly clump of mountains in Germania. Once they made their way past these last mountains, the rest of their journey would be through lower, flatter lands. Originally the plan had been to visit Erfurt then Jena before detouring around the mountains entirely. But now this Lord Grauhard had appeared and thrown a kink into their plans. This crazy noble seemed to appear where ever they went and so in an effort to avoid or at least out-pace him, they were skipping two stops, taking a short-cut through the mountains, and going straight on to Hannover.

While Kitty was impressed by the impressive view, she didn't let it distract her from formulating a plan. She needed a way to extract information out of Nightcrawler. It had to be both fool-proof and unexpected. She was sick of being in the dark with a bunch of puzzle pieces and questions that were so close to fitting together somehow. She had to know for certain where he got his possessions and why he was behaving the way he was. Why did he seem to have the interest he did in her? Then it came to her, the perfect procedure for learning what she wanted to know. An almost feral grin appeared on her pretty face as she began to flesh out the details. _Let's see him try to get out of this…_


	36. Kurt Wagner

**Chapter 35**

**Kurt Wagner**

Nightcrawler knelt down at the edge of a stream and splashed his face with icy water. He never thought he would regret his decision to stick with this group and play native guide. But that was before the fiasco of Nürnberg. Now every second he was around them, around her, was unbearably stressful. He knew that she hadn't witnessed him, that all she had to go on was Bobby's description, but as far as he was concerned it was more than enough. She was suspicious of him; he could see it in her eyes every time he looked at her. She was figuring something out, and from the odd glint in her eyes lately, she was formulating some sort of plan.

"Hello!" A voice chirped directly behind him.

With a yelp Nightcrawler jolted forward and landed face first into the cold shallow stream. The shock of icy water sent him scrambling on top of a moss covered stone that jutted up in the middle of the brook. He sputtered and snorted trying to rid his nose and mouth of the frozen water that had invaded it while trying to keep his footing on the rock. Once he caught his breath he pushed the soaked hair out of his face so he could see just who had sent him into an unintentional cold bath. Kitty was standing there on the bank looking just as surprised as he felt. Then she burst out laughing as the humor of the situation over powered the shock of his extreme reaction.

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Nightcrawler snorted sourly, wringing out his soaked shirt.

"Oh I'm sorry!" She giggled. "I didn't think you'd jump quite so much!"

"Well I didn't think that you were behind me." He sighed.

"I guess not." She replied, calming down. "Come on, let's get you dried off." She sighed beckoning him to follow.

Nightcrawler was stunned and unable to react for a minute. Kitty was rarely so nice to him. While her attitude towards him had improved recently, it was still a surprise to him how kind she was being. He pulled himself free of his shock and abandoned his rock perch with one mighty leap. He obediently followed after her back to camp squeezing excess water from his clothing and fur as he went. At camp everyone was just waking up to enjoy some breakfast that Jean was cooking over the fire. As he padded into their view they all snickered and snorted over his rather damp condition.

"Ah yes, go ahead and laugh all you want. I may be wet, but at least I feel clean and refreshed." Nightcrawler jokingly bragged taking a seat close to the fire to try and dry out.

"I'm glad to hear that." Kitty teased dropping a large scrap of cloth onto his damp hair.

"And I am glad that you are glad." Nightcrawler replied, using the cloth to rub more water out of his dark hair.

"Now take off that shirt before you catch a cold." Kitty commanded. Nightcrawler stiffened, this was a problem. He was still wearing the ring, if she saw it he was in serious trouble.

"_Nein._" He replied, thinking quickly. "I refuse."

"Why?" She asked, half-curious, half-suspicious.

"It would be most improper of me if I were to remove my shirt in the presence of two proper ladies such as yourself and the Lady Jean." He retorted.

"True, but we are in the middle of a wilderness. There is no one around who would be offended; I know that Jean and I are not bothered by a shirt-less man." Kitty replied.

"Yes, don't mind us; I've seen a man with much more than his shirt off." Jean teased with a sly grin. Nightcrawler almost choked upon hearing that and Bobby actually did.

"Well, it would still bother me; I am quite a shy boy." Nightcrawler countered projecting an expression of perfect innocence.

"You, shy? Right, and I'm really the queen of England." Kitty snorted rolling her eyes skyward.

"Ah, but you are. You have the beauty of a queen and you are from England." Nightcrawler purred. Kitty gave him an odd look and studied him for a moment before nodding decisively. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Jean move to sit directly next to Bobby and grip his shoulder. The other three men sat close to her as well. Something was up, Nightcrawler could feel it.

"You flatter me unfairly." She replied, edging closer to him.

"I speak only the truth." He returned, nervous at her sudden close proximity to him.

"Really? Is that why you hide so much from us?" She asked, slipping her slender hand into his blue furry one. Nightcrawler felt every single hair on his body stand straight up.

"Yes, exactly. With-holding information is not lying." He replied stiffly, swallowing hard.

"Maybe, but from another point of view it's lying without saying anything." She retorted, slipping her other arm around his lower back. If he wasn't so completely overwhelmed at the moment, he would've teleported away the instant he felt her touch.

"I-I suppose, but it's better than actually speaking lies." He stammered stiffly.

"True, but the truth is best." Kitty whispered into his sensitive ear. Nightcrawler's brain seemed to have ceased almost all function. All he could think about was how good it felt to have her touch him again.

"_Kätzchen._" He choked weakly.

She said not a word, only moved so close to him that she was practically in his lap. The hand that held his began to softly rub the fur there sending warm tingles racing up his arm and throughout his body. She rubbed her cheek against his fuzzy one and Nightcrawler found himself unable to pull away. He felt her hand that rested on his back drift down lower and lower until it reached the base of his tail. The instant she began to play with that, he was completely at her mercy. Whether or not she knew how sensitive his tail was did not matter, she touch had exactly the same effect regardless of her knowledge. He began to purr like a blue, over-grown house cat and he couldn't stop.

In one tiny corner of his mind that still had some power of independent thought, he realized exactly what she was doing. She was using his own love and affection for her against him. His own heart, body, and soul was now beyond his full control. With a little more careful manipulation she would be able to make him tell her anything she wanted. Vaguely he was aware of what the others were doing. Jean, Remy, and Piotr were all kept busy holding Bobby back from physically attacking him while Logan sat by looking distinctly unhappy. Kitty had planned all this perfectly. She had cleared everything with everyone but Bobby because she knew he would never go along with it, and that left the rest of them to hold him back while she worked. The world had turned against him and he knew that he was doomed.

"Now, just who are you exactly?" She breathed in his ear, abruptly stopping the heavenly stroking.

"Please, please stop this." He gasped.

"Why?" She demanded in a low, cold voice.

"You don't want to know." He replied, feebly trying to free herself from her grip.

"Yes, I most certainly do." She hissed.

"_Nein._" He choked, almost sobbing.

"Why not?" She demanded.

"You-you'll be so mad at me, and so sad. Please stop asking." He begged.

"Why will I be mad at you for telling me who you are? Why would I be sad?" She asked firmly.

"Y-you just will!" He weakly cried, trying to squirm free.

"How do you know that I'll be mad? I could be very happy." She challenged.

"No, you'll be mad, very mad." He whimpered.

"Hm, exactly how mad will I be?" She asked curiously.

"Worse than anything." He gasped.

"Give me an example." She commanded.

"W-worse than…than when your cousins stole Lockheed and claimed that they threw it in the fire and then you found out that they really didn't." He spat out the first incident that came to his mind.

And that was his mistake. He knew it the instant that the words left his lips. Her expression become very pale and still and her grip failed. Nightcrawler clumsily leapt just out of everyone's reach as he struggled to get himself back in control, not that it would do him much good. Every single eye in camp, Lockheed, the real live dragon included, followed his every movement. He'd said something that he wasn't supposed to know, something that only he and Kitty knew. From his 'safe' distance he watched her expression change from blank shock to horrified understanding and finally to anger.

"Kurt Wagner you miserable bastard." She hissed with a fiery glare. Numbly, the blue furry demon leaned back against a tree trunk and buried his head in his three fingered hands.

"I am in so much trouble…"


	37. Truth of the Past

**Chapter 36**

**Truth of the Past**

Kurt was numb. Life as he knew it was over. His identity was no longer a secret masked by the nickname 'Nightcrawler'. They knew his real name now, and if they didn't know who he was in relation to Kitty yet, they would soon. And once they knew that bit of information he could expect terrible physical pain as he was beaten within an inch of his life for abandoning her all those years ago. They probably would be disappointed that he had no protest with that idea, everything they threw at him he knew he deserved. He leaned limply against a tree trunk with his eyes closed as he awaited his fate, whatever it might be.

"Wait, you know him?" Bobby asked Kitty obviously confused.

"Yes, Bobby, she does. He is the man that she is married to." Jean replied, answering for the apparently speechless Kitty.

"She never said anything about him being blue and furry." Bobby complained. Kurt wanted to bang his head against the tree he was using as a support repeatedly.

"Bobby, do you think her parents would've agreed to marry their only daughter to me if they knew I looked like this?" Kurt hissed opening his eyes to give a cold venomous look to the Iceman.

"Well, um, no." He conceded.

"There, that is why she never said anything about me being blue and furry. She never knew about it." Kurt sighed.

"Remy wonders, how could you hide such an obvious trait from her?" Gambit asked before Bobby could come up with another silly question.

"A spell." Kurt replied simply.

"What kind of spell, how does it work?" Bobby asked curiously.

Kurt frowned; shouldn't Bobby be at his throat for being the husband who abandoned the girl he adores? Perhaps that hadn't fully clicked in his head yet. With a tired sigh he demonstrated his spell so that he wouldn't have to try to explain it. He thought a specific phrase in the Gypsy tongue, the only phrase he knew in that language, and did a few hand signs behind his back so no one could see them. It wasn't that he didn't trust any of them or feared that they would use what they saw to betray his somehow, it was simply old habit. Then he began to feel the first tickles of change. There was never any pain involved in the change; he was shielded from it by the nature of the spell and the speed of the change itself. In less than half a minute a swirling bubble of opaque, off-white light surrounded him, and then vanished revealing his human form.

"Hey! Y-you were that guy!" Bobby squeaked in excitement.

"What guy?" Piotr asked.

"The one who saved me from getting my head chopped off!" Bobby replied, still very excited. In fact, it seemed that he was so excited and grateful he scampered over and gave Kurt a hug. "Thank you so much!" Kurt knew that she was probably in no mood to answer him, but he asked her anyway.

"Can I hit him? Please?" He begged Kitty. She was still visibly upset, but she nodded her permission to him and Kurt went ahead and smacked Bobby on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Bobby asked sourly, releasing his grip to rub his sore head.

"I don't enjoy getting hugs from men who don't happen to be related to me." He explained. "And besides, this seems like an odd time to be enthusiastically thanking me."

"That's right, now start talking bub." Logan growled, appearing at Kurt's side seemingly by magic. Kurt felt himself break out into a nervous sweat.

"Ask away." He replied, looking towards Kitty for a starting point.

"How long have you been, well, blue and fuzzy?" Kitty asked after some thought.

"My whole life. That's why I have no mother. She took one look at me when I was born and ran off never to be seen again." Kurt replied.

"So, even when I knew you before, you looked like you do now?" She asked softly.

"Yes," he sighed sadly.

"Was I ever going to find out about this fact?" She demanded.

"Yes, of course. The plan was when you came to live with my family you would be told and shown everything. However, that never came to pass." He explained.

"Why did that not happen? Why did you disappear?" She asked the big question, her voice filled with a deep anguish.

"Simple, your parents found out about my dirty little secret, where horrified and appalled, and threw me out with threats against my life and the lives of my entire family. My retainers were in such a rush to whisk me away that there was no time to even give warning or leave a message." Kurt replied, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"How did they find out?" She inquired.

"Good question, that's something that I would like to know as well." Kurt grumbled sourly. For a while there was silence and he almost began to think that was the end of it.

"Why didn't you ever say who you were before? You've led us around for well over a month, you had plenty of opportunities to speak up before. Why did I have to drag it out of you?" Kitty asked; her tone sad, confused, and hurt.

"Easy, I'm a gutless coward." Kurt snorted.

"You are?" Kitty asked sounding very confused. "You weren't one the last time I checked."

"Perhaps I should explain." Kurt mused as he abandoned his spot at the tree to sit closer to Kitty and move away from Logan's intimidating presence. "If I told you who I was as soon as I spotted you, would you have believed me? And if I proved it to you, what would you have thought of me? Probably what you think now, maybe even worse than that. That was a situation I was hoping to avoid." Kitty looked off deep in thought and Kurt allowed himself to relax.

"So do your pants still have a tail hole?" Bobby asked suddenly.

"No, _dank sei Gott. _The spell takes care of little things like that. It would be something of a problem if I had to cart around a spare pair of pants for whenever I change shapes." Kurt muttered.

"Oh, so that explains why you're wearing boots now." Bobby replied in understanding.

"Exactly." Kurt confirmed, rubbing at his wedding band that had magically materialized along with his boots.

"Hmm, if you had that spell all along, why didn't you slip into the towns after us to see what we were up to?" Jean asked curiously.

"I dislike using my spell unless it is necessary, which is most of the time. It renders me almost completely human and I cannot access my Cursed abilities and I find that bothersome and uncomfortable. So I generally avoid any area or situation that would call for looking like a normal person." Kurt explained. Then he found a question of his own. "Just what are you doing out here? You never told me."

"We didn't tell you because it didn't look like you could follow us into town and help. And the fewer people know what we're doing here the better." Logan growled from where he stood by the tree.

"Ah, I see." Kurt muttered.

"Now let's get going, we've wasted enough time." The feral man grumbled, stalking off to prepare to break camp.

Exhausted by the round of questions, Kurt trudged off to wait with Schwarzi as the others prepared to leave. With a stretch and sigh he collapsed next the black stallion that was lying on the soft, leafy forest floor. As he rested against Schwarzi's black flank he reversed the spell with practiced ease breathing a sigh of relief once the change was complete. Schwarzi was used to these magical transformations and didn't pay it any mind, but the other horses around him snorted and stamped nervously. While he waited he considered his drastic change in fortune. His name and identity was no longer a secret so there was no longer any need to worry about discovery. So far, they hadn't decided to beat him to a bloody pulp, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't change their minds later. Kitty still had to absorb and mull over all that she had seen and what he had told her. Once her shook wore off he would see what her decision concerning him was. _And now, I wait…_


	38. Confusion of the Wounded Heart

**Chapter 37**

**Confusion of the Wounded Heart**

Kurt sighed wearily as a cool breeze stirred his blue fur. He hung listlessly from the top of an evergreen tree by his tail, gazing sightlessly over the tree-thick landscape. Three completely, utterly miserable days had passed and still he was left waiting. Kitty still had not said or word to him or anyone else. And since she hadn't said anything no one did anything to him, well anything physical. Instead of beating him within an inch of his life they shunned him. They refused to look at him or acknowledge him in any way. If he were to approach one of them, they would leave and go elsewhere. The only exception to this was when they needed him to lead them; they looked at him then, but only then. Beyond the occasional visit from little Lockheed and the company of his horse Schwarzi he was totally alone.

_Oh why didn't Vati just drown me when I was an infant and save me and everyone else the trouble of experiencing my miserable little life? _Kurt wondered dejectedly as he hung upside-down. _If I hadn't lived beyond my first few hours of life Vati and all the rest of my family wouldn't have to have spent so much time worrying about me and my dark secret. And then I wouldn't have been drawn into the arranged marriage with Kitty and she would've been free to marry that boy Lance that she likes so much. She wouldn't have to suffer through my lies, secrets, and truths. She would be free to love whom she wished and untroubled by me. _Kurt sighed again and closed his now clouded golden eyes. _If only I'd never have been born…_

* * *

Somewhere out of sight of the others, Kitty stood in a rigid stance holding her unsheathed sword. After many minutes of standing perfectly still she launched into a series of practice sets that started off simple and slow and evolved into something faster and more complex. Each thrust, slash, and parry became swifter until her motions were nothing but a silvery blur. She launched attack after attack at shadows and imaginary enemies that only she could see. And finally when she was almost completely exhausted she simply stopped and dropped the tip of her blade down to touch the leaf and pine needle covered ground. She was panting and her skin was covered with a fine sheen of sweat as she turned to scan the trees that surrounded her.

_He's not there. _No glowing yellow eyes or shadowy inhuman form appeared to her vision and it hurt her. She never though she'd miss the near constant presence of the creature she had known as Nightcrawler, but now she did. He didn't follow her around anyone, he didn't speak to her, he didn't even try. She never saw him except when he played the part of native guide and even then he seemed to be miles away. She spent years wondering and waiting and now that he was within her sight he was more distant than ever. Numbly she sank to her knees and released her grip on her sword. _He's not there._

Wordlessly Kitty rubbed her wedding band with her index finger and wondered. Why was she not angry? After all that had happened and all that had been said she had more than enough reason to be raging out of her mind. Kurt had kept some very serious and important things from her the entire time she knew him. Her parents had thrown him out and had kept her in the dark about how and why for years. And then Kurt reappeared, but kept himself hidden under her very nose and pretended to be someone else. Yes, she was well within her rights to be enraged, but she wasn't.

All she wanted, she realized, was to be back in the past and start over completely. She wanted to be a little girl again back at home with her family and un-Cursed. And then, when the time came for her to meet her future husband it would be different. She wouldn't avoid or mistreat as she did then and she would miss him properly when he went away. When he returned she would be more than happy to see him again and she would not involve herself with the slime known as Lance. She would enjoy the time she had with him and treat him far better than she had. And when he finally made his disappearance she would not lose hope and work much harder to find him again instead of trying to forget and move on.

It was a nice little fantasy, but there was no way to go back and change the past. She couldn't undo what she did then and the guilt surged forward to swallow her whole. She had treated him horribly both in their youth and when he went by the name of Nightcrawler. In the past she always put him down and never gave him a second thought. The only time she ever felt anything resembling respect for him then was when they danced at parties or during sword lessons. Beyond that, she'd seen him as nothing more than an over-bred noble boy who's in-breeding resulted in less than desirable behavioral and personality traits. And as Nightcrawler, she saw him as a half-sane Cursed creature with the mysterious ability to push all her buttons and own objects that he shouldn't. Either way, she saw him as nothing more than an annoyance and treated him as such.

And the worst part was, he took it. Never once did he complain about anything she did to him. Even when she ditched sword practice that one time to 'visit' with Lance he never said anything to her. He never asked her where she went or what she was doing instead of receiving her lesson. All he did was nod and smile at her nervous excuse that she'd forgotten about the lesson completely. There was no way that he couldn't have known that she was seeing Lance behind his back, but he never stopped her and never said a word. If he had reacted like a normal boy perhaps things would've turned out different. But he took it all with a smile and that made her feel infinitely guiltier about things. He took it all and he still was loyal and devoted to her.

A concerned chirping noise reached her ears and she turned to see a blurry purple splotch on her shoulder. She blinked in dazed confusion as the cheeping splotch that sounded like Lockheed moved closer and began licking her cheek with a rough warm forked tongue. It was then she realized that it wasn't a splotch but Lockheed himself and that her whole vision was blurry. She'd been crying almost the whole time she'd been out here. And as soon as she realized that she was crying her grief overwhelmed her and she collapsed into a sobbing heap. She couldn't deal with things anymore, not alone. This was bad, if not worse, than when she'd lost it when her Curse emerged. She'd needed help then and she needed it now. _Where are you?_

* * *

The tension in the camp was palpable. All the older members were silently circled around the smoldering remains of their fire. The youngest member, Bobby, was pacing around in circles nearby. Within the circle only Remy seemed the least bit relaxed. Jean, Piotr, and Logan all were in some way visibly tense. The feral man was slowly carving patterns into a piece of firewood with one of his star-metal claws. The Russian was drawing Cyrillic characters into the dirt with a stick. And Jean was mending some torn clothing with jerky motions of a needle and thread.

"I can't take this waiting anymore!" Bobby finally exploded.

"None of us can, but we don't have much of a choice in the matter." Jean replied with a cold edge to her voice, which Bobby either didn't hear or he ignored.

"I'm going to go find that blue fur-ball and turn him into an ice cube!" Bobby declared and stalked off to find his quarry, only to walk straight into an invisible wall.

"Robert Drake you will do no such thing." Jean snapped back.

"Jean take down this wall and let me at him!" Bobby cried.

"No I will not. You have no right to do anything to him yet. He is Kitty's husband and it is her decision as to what sort of punishment he deserves." Jean growled.

"It's been three days! I'm sick of waiting!" Bobby whined.

"Well so are we, but that doesn't mean that you or any of us can go off and do whatever we feel like." Logan replied in a tone that ended all argument.

Bobby looked like he really wanted to keep whining about it, but he wasn't quite stupid enough to do that. So with an angry, frustrated sigh he trudged over to sit with the rest of them and keep on waiting. Jean massaged her temples before returning to her sewing repairs. She raised her mental shields, closing her mind almost entirely to ward off being overwhelmed by the nervous energy that swirled around her companions. If things got any worse she would have to close down her telepathic powers entirely to avoid losing herself in the swirling chaos that they were all unconsciously projecting. Already she had to close off all contact to both Kitty and Kurt. She had no idea what either was thinking or doing and she didn't want to know either. It was bad enough picking up on all these males' desires to dismember slowly and painfully one blue furry demon.

* * *

Kurt was about ready to slink around the camp to see if the others were ready to leave yet when something purple and scaly attached itself to his face. With a muffled yelp he tried to peel the creature off his face with little success. With a growl of frustration his tail let go of the branch he'd been hanging from for the past few hours and plummeted head first towards the ground. Barely two seconds after he began falling, he triggered his most useful and secret Cursed ability. There was a flash of light, a sound, and a puff of sulfuric smoke and he was gone. A fraction of a second later there was another flash of light, another sound, and a puff of smoke, and he reappeared on the ground, right-side up. This sudden shift disoriented the creature and he was able to remove it from his face. It was Lockheed.

"Oh hello, what brings you out here to visit with pitiful little me?" He asked quietly.

The little dragon squealed and shook his head to clear the fog from it before he seemed to remember what he was doing. He leapt free of Kurt's grip and fluttered around frantically making all sorts of panicky noises. Kurt stared at the purple thing uncomprehendingly, devoutly wishing that he could more directly communicate with the pygmy dragon. The winged purple lizard quickly grew desperate and started dive-bombing the blue-furred German's head and pulling at his clothes with teeth and claws. Kurt yelped and tried to squirm away from the unexpectedly assault.

"What is the matter little one? What do you want?" Kurt squeaked. The dragon took a firm grip on Kurt's sleeve and began to try and drag him off without any success. "You wish me to go with you?" The blue demon asked. The tiny dragon seemed to make sounds to the affirmative. "Alright then, just let go of me and lead the way." Kurt replied.

Lockheed gave a high thin cry and wheeled away, rapidly winging his way through the woods. Kurt actually found himself had pressed to keep up with the tiny dragon at first. But with a little teleporting here and there he was able to keep the flying purple blur in his sight. In only a few short minutes they had passed by the camp without actually passing through it or without being seen by anyone. And a few minutes after that they had reached another clearing well enough away from camp so that no one there would know what was going on. And huddled in the middle of this clearing was a collapsed Kitty.

For a minute Kurt was frozen, crouched just at the edge of the clearing. When he heard her sobs, however, he was jolted into action. Soundlessly he slipped down out of the tree and onto the ground. Wordlessly he padded over to her side and crouched down to hesitantly pat her back. Her sobs grew softer and quieter after several minutes and Kurt almost thought it was safe enough to try and sneak off. He really shouldn't be here after all, she needed time away from him to come to her own decisions about him. Then she looked up at him with the most heart-breaking tear-stained face he'd ever seen and there was no way that he could convince himself to leave her side. But did she want him to stay?

Kitty answered that unuttered question barely a few moments later. She let out a choked whimper and raised her trembling arms to his shoulders. Her arms slipped around his neck and the rest of her slid into his lap. She buried her tear-soaked face into his neck and began to sob once more. Kurt sat paralyzed for a minute, utterly shocked that she would want to touch him at all after what had happened. But when he recovered some of his wits, he wrapped his own arms around her and held her closer, rubbing her back and petting her hair. _Hush Liebe. It will be alright now. It'll be alright… Somehow…_


	39. Next Stop Hannover

**Chapter 38**

**Next Stop Hannover**

Just as the sun was cresting the horizon, turning the sky from pale gray to warm yellow, Kurt woke up. For a while he simply lay still against the tree trunk where he'd spent the night. He wondered sleepily why he was on the ground instead of in the tree like he usually was, but he drew a blank. Shrugging his shoulders he figured it probably wasn't important and that he'd remember the reason for the decision later. With a wide yawn and a lazy stretch he prepared to get up and face the day. It was about that time that he ran into some difficulty, namely a girl's head resting in his lap.

He blinked stupidly down at the sleeping girl before his tired brain registered just who exactly it was. Then, once he recognized her he blushed. He swallowed hard and made it his top priority to figure just how Kitty ended up apparently spending the night with him. As mind spun in furious circles he tentatively reached out with one blue furry hand to brush back her hair that had come loose from her hair ribbon. She looked so peaceful and pretty when she slept that he always did his best to let her sleep as long as she could. Well, unless they had something planned for early in the morning, and even then he tried to let her sleep as long as possible. He smiled faintly, but then his good mood vanished as his mind finally recalled the previous day's events.

At the end of yesterday's ride he'd been hanging upside-down and then Lockheed had appeared out of nowhere and pasted himself on Kurt's face. After peeling the purple lizard off his face Kurt had followed it to find Kitty collapsed and crying. He'd gone over to try and comfort her and she had firmly attached herself to him for the remainder of the evening. He waited for her to stop crying, but when she finally did he found that she was asleep. Not wanting to wake her he let her sleep until the sun set and the woods grew dark. Using the darkness as a cover he stealthily carried her back to the camp and settled with her at the base of the tree and promptly fell asleep as well.

With a sad sigh he brushed his furry thumb over her cheek. He'd meant to keep his distance, let her make up her own mind. It was a nice idea, but look how long it lasted. Barely three days and he'd given in, though it would've been horribly cruel if he hadn't. But now she was calm and asleep, should he stay and wait for her to wake up? Or should he leave her be? Torn with indecision he closed his eyes and tilted his head back to rest against the tree trunk. His tail flicked violently for a minute before he coiled it around Kitty's waist to still it. _Now what should I do?_

"I say you should go, but that's just me." A voice suggested, making Kurt start in surprise. His golden eyes flew open to focus on an irritated looking Jean.

"Who said that you could look into my head?" Kurt frowned.

"No one, but I didn't have to go inside your head, you were thinking more than loud enough for me to hear without even trying to." Jean grumbled sourly.

"I was?" He muttered to himself.

"Yes, you were, please stop." Jean growled. Kurt blinked, _what's gotten her in such a nasty mood?_

"Why am I in a nasty mood? I'm in a nasty mood because everyone else is and they're all projecting very nasty thoughts that are giving me a constant headache!" Jean hissed, glaring at him.

"Sorry." Kurt squeaked, cringing back into the tree.

"You'd better be." Jean muttered, massaging her temples.

Kurt held his tongue and looked down towards Kitty's sleeping face. Only she wasn't sleeping anymore. When he looked down he was confronted by a pair of sleepy blue eyes squinting back up at him. He sat frozen, wondering what her reaction would be. She blinked several times quite confused as to her location and how she got there. But when she remembered he saw her smile a little. She reached up with one hand and lightly traced the contours of his face and Kurt found himself smiling back at her.

"_Guten Morgen._" He purred softly.

"Good morning to you too." She murmured back.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked politely, struggling to bury a growing sense of nervousness. He could still vividly recall an incident back before they were married when they had fallen asleep together in a library. They'd been caught by their parents who made a great deal out of it and this had made Kitty so angry she'd avoided him for the whole week until he went back home.

"Yes," she mumbled, her fingertips drifting down the side of his neck.

"Have any nice dreams?" He asked curiously, forcing himself to ignore the sensations her touch was creating. This was neither the time nor the place for such things.

"I think so, can't really remember." She whispered back.

"Well if you don't remember what you dreamed about, how do you know if it was a good dream or not?" Kurt wondered.

"Because I never have bad dreams when I'm with you." She replied with a faint blush. Kurt felt his heart skip a beat.

"You flatter me unfairly _Schatz_." Kurt whispered. Kitty blinked several times in shock before she blushed a much darker shade of red.

"I seem to recall a time when you swore to me that you would never in a thousand years use that word in reference to me." She replied shyly. Kurt cocked his head slightly to one side.

"I did?" He asked. She nodded mutely.

Kurt frowned and stared off into space as he tried to remember just when exactly he'd said that. While he pondered, Kitty slowly began to rise up out of his lap and stretch. As she stood and wandered off Kurt found he had to restrain himself from pulling her back down to stay with him for a while longer. Instead, he returned to the task of remembering when he said he'd never call her _Schatz _and why. His tail swished slowly from side to side as he reached down into his memory to find the answer to his question.

Then it came to him. Not long after they were officially married they'd gotten into a heated discussion concerning the nature of their relationship. Over time it had gotten somehow to expressions of affection and how they would never use them. She swore that she would never willingly hold his hand, kiss his cheek, or dance with him. He in turn swore she would never hear him say any term of endearment in any language to her, and he had gone so far as to give her a verbal list of words she would never hear him say to her. Kurt found himself wincing at the memory. _The things I did as a child…_

* * *

Kitty felt light as a feather, ever after the morning's hard ride. Everyone was eager to leave the mountains, and all of the high country, behind so they pressed on riding faster and for longer than they normally would. So the whole group was tired, well, except for her. She still felt giddy from earlier in the morning and even the grueling ride had failed to lessen that feeling. So when they finally stopped just after noon she was still smiling while everyone else was groaning and scowling.

She almost skipped around the clearing that they had stopped in. But even though she didn't skip the others were all aware of her continued good cheer. Logan and Jean seemed to approve of this, and Remy and Piotr appeared to be undecided, but Bobby still did not look happy. Kitty knew that she had to do something about Bobby, but right now she refused to deal with it. Right now she just wanted to hang onto this period of happiness for as long as she could.

"Kitty, could I talk to you?" Bobby suddenly asked just after she'd finished eating her lunch.

"Sure, talk away." She sighed.

"Could I talk to you alone?" He clarified.

"Fine," Kitty mumbled. She stood up to follow him wherever he wanted to go and talk, waving Kurt off as she went. The last thing she needed was to have him follow her and spy on this particular conversation. Once they were a good distance away she stopped and braced herself. "Now speak."

"Can I turn that bastard into an ice cube yet?" Bobby demanded.

"No," Kitty stated flatly.

"Why not?" Bobby whined.

"Because I said so, and if that reason isn't good enough for you here are a few more. Firstly, he is my husband, if he does anything that is deserving of punishment I will take care of it. Secondly, who are you, the guy who has trouble staying out of trouble, to pass any sort of judgment or inflict any sort of punishment on him? And thirdly, if in the highly unlikely event that I need any help whatsoever with him I promise to seek the appropriate help in dealing with things." Kitty replied, poking him in the chest to emphasize every major point.

"Um, okay." Bobby squeaked, now quite intimidated.

"Good, now I expect you to at least leave him alone if not make up with him. He's saved your hide twice after all." She grumbled as she stalked off.

"Did it go well?" Kurt asked quietly when she made it back to his side.

"I hope so." Kitty sighed. "How much longer until we make it to Hannover?"

"Three, maybe four days, why?" Kurt wondered.

"I need a break from him and sleeping in a real bed sounds really nice to me right now." She replied softly. Kurt didn't reply, only slipped an arm around her shoulders and held her closer. Kitty gladly leaned in closer to him and sighed tiredly. _Hopefully it'll only take three days; I don't think I can last four…_


	40. Axel the Pervert

**Chapter 39**

**Axel the Pervert**

"So we're almost there." Jean sighed to no one in particular.

"Yes," Kitty replied unnecessarily.

It was true, they were almost there. Hannover was less than an hour's ride from their final camp. At the moment, the two women of the party were off on their own. The men hadn't liked the idea as there was always a chance that bandits could be about, but Kitty took her sword along so there was no further argument. And so here they were, walking through the wooded country on a brief mini-retreat from their male companions.

"And what a lovely day to arrive in the city." Jean added.

"Yes, it is." Kitty quietly agreed.

The day had dawned warm and clear. Breakfast had been quickly thrown together and eaten. Logan and Piotr had argued for leaving immediately when Kurt had reported how close they were to their newest destination. Bobby complained that he was tired and still sore from yesterday and whined for more rest. Remy and Kurt took no sides. The Frenchman merely sharpened his daggers as the reluctant German noble sat nervously on a tree stump, his spell already in place. With no solid agreement to continue on for a while, the two women had seized their chance and now had a rare chance to enjoy themselves.

"What's that?" Jean asked suddenly, stopping in her tracks. Kitty paused and listened to see what had caught the mind-witch's attention.

"It sounds like a stream." Kitty said after a moment.

"Yes, yes it does. Should we go find it?" The red haired woman asked.

"Yes, why not." Kitty replied.

The pair continued on through the pleasant woods, pausing every now and then to listen for their destination. They really didn't have to walk very much further. Just beyond a thicker section of trees was a clear stream rushing over nearly smooth stones. It was very shallow through this stretch with no spot deep enough for any fish. The scene of the beautiful stream was further enhanced by beams of light that broke through the canopy and sparkled on the ever-changing water's surface.

"My, aren't we lucky this morning." Jean giggled as they stopped on the stream bank.

"We certainly are." Kitty sighed as she kneeled down and began splashing the cool water over her face. "Now I can at least get some of this travel dust off my face."

"Good idea." Jean returned, joining her younger friend on the bank to wash her face as well.

"Oh, I feel much better." Kitty sighed once she finished scrubbing the last vestiges of grime from her hands and face.

"As do I." Jean agreed.

Before they could speak more on the virtues of being clean as opposed to dirty or some other random topic Jean gave a start. Barely a second later she shrieked, jumped to her feet, and spun around to confront a man. He was a handsome blonde stranger dressed in the livery of a noble's guardsman. For a brief moment Kitty feared that it was one of Lord Grauhard's men, but a second look at his crest and colors told her otherwise. Before she could properly place what family he served, he opened his mouth to speak.

"_Guten Tag Frauen!_" He declared gallantly. "_Wie geht es Ihnen._"

"_Guten Tag._" Kitty replied warily. "_Sie sprechen Deutsch nicht._"

"_Was sprechen sie dann?_" The soldier asked curiously. Jean's expression was suspicious.

"_Englisch._" Kitty replied slowly.

"_Englisch? _Ah, you are in luck my dears, I speak English as well!" He cried cheerfully. Kitty frowned slightly. This man looked and sounded vaguely familiar though she found that she couldn't place him properly in her mind.

"And you are?" Jean asked.

"The question is not 'who am I?' It is 'who are you?' What are two English beauties such as yourselves doing out here in Germania unescorted?" He asked smoothly.

"Answer her question first and then we shall answer yours." Kitty firmly insisted, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her chin defiantly.

"Oh ho! Don't you have spirit." The man grinned, though his grin was bordering on a leer.

"We will not answer you until you answer us." Kitty repeated, her tone unwavering.

"Spirit and determination." He mused, walking around her like a buyer inspecting a horse. "Spirit, determination, and an exquisite body." He purred after he finished his perusal.

"Answer us or leave." Kitty demanded tightly, her face flushing with rage at the soldier's crude treatment of her.

"No need to be impatient my beauty. I will answer." He murmured. Off to the side Kitty could see Jean looking very unhappy.

_((This man's mind is slimier than a stagnant swamp pool.)) _Jean silently declared.

_((I figured as much.)) _Kitty grumbled.

_((Be careful.)) _Jean warned.

_((I will.)) _Kitty promised.

Perhaps the soldier noticed that she was distracted or maybe he just decided to take a chance. Whatever the reason was, he still did it and Kitty suddenly felt his hand settle on her hip. She didn't move, didn't react, she just stood perfectly still and waited. The hand slowly drifted from her hip to her lower back, then down to settle on her backside. Still she did not move, she gave him one final chance to back off. He didn't take it as she felt him give her a squeeze. In the blink of an eye she spun around and had her sword drawn and at his throat.

"How dare you." She hissed coldly.

"Yes, you are spirited." He laughed, not at all concerned for his well-being.

"You filthy cretin! Do you not believe that I know how to use this?" Kitty demanded.

"Of course you don't, you're a woman." He smirked.

"Even if I didn't know how to properly swing, strike, or parry, I still could run you through!" She snarled.

"Ah, but women are weak creatures unable to be more violent than a few weak punches or slaps." The soldier chuckled.

"That shows how much you know." Kitty hissed as she drew away from him and fell into a fighting stance. Now the man looked a little concerned.

"Did you grow up near an English guard station? Your stance is very good." He asked sounding slightly worried.

"No," she growled coldly, bringing her sword to attention and preparing to strike.

"Now, now there's no need to make a fuss." The soldier soothed though he dropped his hand to his sword handle.

_((Maybe you should wait, I called for the others to come.)) _Jean mentally added.

"Yes, there is a need to make a fuss. I gave you a chance to remove your hand and you persisted you dirty pervert." Kitty snarled.

"But you said nothing." The soldier complained, tightening his grip on his weapon.

"Did I have to say something? I thought my reactions were perfectly clear!" She almost shouted.

"You did not slap my hand away." He replied, still looking nervous.

"So what if I did not? Does that mean that I am good for the groping?" She countered acidly.

The soldier said nothing, only squirmed a little before drawing his sword. He remained in a relaxed stance, his sword pointed at the ground. Kitty narrowed her blue eyes. Still the man was humoring her even though he admitted that her stance was the correct one for fighting. She aligned her blade so that it was near perpendicular to the ground and the sharp edge was facing him. She took one step to the left, then another, slowly forcing the man to move to the right. Jean continued to look worried, but she knew better than to interfere and so could only wait to be needed. Kitty felt about ready to charge the man when a new voice said some rather startling words.

"Axel Schwarzstein you miserable creature! What on earth did you do!" Kurt snarled angrily. Kitty froze and her eyes widened in surprise. _Axel?!_

"M'Lord?" Axel asked, looking off in confusion. Kitty's eyes now shrank to slits.

"You crude-minded swine." She spat, sheathing her sword and glaring at the unfortunate man. When she finally looked away she found Kurt looking more furious than she'd seen him in a very long time.

"Explain yourself before _I _decide to run you through." Kurt commanded coldly.

"W-well I was walking through the woods and I see these two lovely ladies. I came over to speak with them and found them to be English. They wouldn't explain themselves to me so I investigated the younger one and she drew a sword on me." He replied, his tone almost whining at the end.

"So to you, 'investigate' means to violate?" Kurt questioned icily.

"_Nein, _no, it wasn't like _that_!" Axel protested weakly.

"Axel, tell me. Do you remember your promise?" Kurt asked suddenly as he purposefully made his way over to stand in front of the soldier. Now Kitty finally recognized his colors and crest as those of the Wagner family.

"What promise?" Axel inquired.

"Your most important promise." Kurt replied.

"The one where I swore to sooner die than let harm come to you?" Axel guessed.

"No, you made that oath to my father. The promise of which I speak was made directly to me." Kurt said, his voice so low it was a little difficult for Kitty to hear.

"The one where I promised that no matter what, no matter how pretty she got, that I'd never touch your wife in an inappropriate manner or say foul things to her?" The guard nervously suggested.

"Yes, that one." Kurt confirmed, his voice frigid.

"Well, what about it?" The soldier wondered.

"Guess what," Kurt whispered. "You just broke it."

"Huh?" Axel replied stupidly. Then he glanced over at Kitty and studied her again. He looked deep in thought for a long moment before he paled. His face was whiter than a fine linen sheet and Kitty seriously thought he was going to faint. "Oh dear God what did I just do?" He whispered to himself and sat heavily on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked, suddenly appearing at her shoulder.

"Yes," she sighed.

"If you say so." He said softly. Kitty could tell that he didn't entirely believe her, but he'd let it slide. "So," he called, turning back to Axel. "Just what are you doing out here? Home is to the south and east."

"Eh? Oh, one of your father's allies has thrown a party in Hannover. Everyone is there now." Axel distantly replied, still caught up in his enormous mistake.

"I see," Kurt trailed off in thought.

"So are we done here?" Logan gruffly demanded. Kitty turned to find that everyone was present and none of them looked terribly pleased.

"Hm? Oh yes, yes we're done." Kurt fell out of his thoughts and stood up to leave.

Kitty jumped to her feet and walked over to rejoin the others. None of them looked the least bit happy, Jean and Logan least of all. Remy and Piotr appeared calm, but distantly displeased. And Bobby looked a little mad and very lost. Kurt sighed and dragged the ashamed guardsman to his feet and towed him along as he also came to join them.

"What are you bringing him for?" Piotr asked curiously.

"Oh he's supposed to follow me whenever I'm away from home." Kurt sighed. "One of the perks of nobility, a constant companion anywhere you move."

"Then, why wasn't he with you before?" Bobby wondered.

"Because I snuck away from him." Kurt replied nervously.

"Oh," Bobby replied, seemingly satisfied.

"So let's go." Kitty grinned, hurrying off and forcing everyone else to follow.

Kitty they weren't the least bit happy with Axel following along, she wasn't either. But it was his job to follow Kurt around and make sure that no one tried to stab him, shoot him, or otherwise dangerously molest him. Axel apparently couldn't really help being a pervert. She recalled times when he tried to be civil and proper to ladies, but in a few hours he couldn't contain himself and was getting smacked left and right. _At least we'll be in Hannover soon and everyone will forget about him. Or maybe just not think on him too much. Hopefully…_


	41. Parental Chat

**Chapter 40  
****Parental Chat**

The city of Hannover was much like all the other Germanic cities that they had visited so far. The edge was made up of peasant huts and small garden plots. Then came the small markets, shops, and more middle class housing. And then there were the residences of the rich, noble, and powerful clerics, the large important stone buildings, and the cathedral. The streets were about as crowded and the language was certainly the same as before.

But for Kurt, this was something of a new experience. He'd been to Hannover before, but not with a group of foreigners and a smuggled miniature dragon in tow. Ahead of him rode the still ashen-faced Axel, who was leading them to where his father was staying so that they could gain some free lodgings. Behind him rode everyone else. Bobby was his usual cheerfully inquisitive self now that he was distracted by new surroundings. Logan looked angry, but then again he always looked angry, and all the others looked around with mild curiosity.

Kurt looked ahead in time to see Lord Grünbaum's very impressive manor house come into view. The vast hall had more than enough room to accommodate all the invited guests and whoever the guests decided to invite as well. But besides its great size it is known for its fine stained glass windows and enormous dining and dancing hall. And the lord himself was well known in these parts and quite popular. Not only was he kind and generous, he also wielded some power and influence with the Kaiser himself.

"Wow! That place might be bigger than Lord Xavier's!" Bobby exclaimed, jolting Kurt from his thoughts.

"Oh really?" He mumbled to himself as his curiosity about this English Lord increased.

They entered the front gates and rode around to the stables to board their horses. Kurt sent Axel ahead to speak with his father and he personally worked on the arrangements for their horses and rooms. Thankfully they weren't the last people to come for this party and there were still plenty of rooms available. With the help of a few servants who had nothing to do at the moment, they carried their things to a set of empty rooms and settled in. With all of that done, everyone was able to relax. Kurt, however, had one final chore to take care of.

"Oh Kitty?" He called, poking his head into her room.

"Yes?" She replied. Kurt wanted to laugh when he saw her sprawled out on the bed on her back with Lockheed snoozing on her stomach. Apparently she missed sleeping in real beds very much.

"I need to ask you something." He answered as he walked over to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Ask me what?" She asked, lifting her head to look at him with confusion.

"What you came here in search of." He replied. "You never got around to telling me."

"Oh," she blinked, then slumped back down onto the mattress. "Is that all?"

"'Is that all?' Just what did you think I was going to ask?" Kurt wondered.

"I don't know," she sighed. "Well, we came here to find something." She forged on before he could press her on the other subject.

"Find what?" He asked.

"The Destiny Scrolls. Some old wooden box with magic seals that preserve some ancient scrolls with prophecies concerning the future of all humanity." She explained.

"Wow." Kurt mumbled after a moment. "So…are you looking for these Scrolls to learn about the future?"

"No, we're looking for it because it was stolen. And if they were to fall into the wrong hands they could lead to the destruction of the world…or something." Kitty corrected.

"Oh," he muttered after a longer pause. He would've liked to mull over this new chunk of important information for a while, but he was rarely so lucky as to get his way.

"M'lord?" Axel's voice echoed down the hallway. Kurt sighed and trudged over to the doorway.

"Yes Axel?" He replied as he slipped out of Kitty's room. Axel spun around and looked greatly relieved.

"Oh there you are! I almost thought you'd disappeared on me again." Axel replied, hurrying over to Kurt's side.

"Now why would I do something silly like that?" Kurt grumbled. "So what is it?"

"Your father demands to see you immediately." The guardsman answered.

"_Wunderbar,_" Kurt sighed as a wave of dread crashed over him. "Lead on!" He commanded.

Axel nodded and they set off for wherever Count Wagner happened to be waiting for them. They went through a series of halls, most of them with tall windows filled with colored glass. The one inner hall that had no windows was decorated with colorful tapestries that depicted religious and historical scenes. Most of the people they came across were servants or pages hurrying off somewhere to complete some task or relay a message. The few exceptions, two to be exact, were some visiting lord's daughters who were rather suggestive in the looks that they gave the passing men. Kurt felt extremely uncomfortable with this, but Axel looked most pleased and interested to follow this opportunity up. Kurt had to kick him in the shin to keep them moving.

Finally they arrived at a room with a heavy oak door. On the other side of the door was a decent-sized room with a single window that filled the room with some light, though didn't illuminate everything. Immediately to one side of the door stood Günter, head of his family's guard and personal guardsman to his father. If the look on that man's face was any indication of what he was in for, which it always was, then he was in serious trouble. Kurt nervously scanned the room and found an occupied chair in the remaining patch of shadow.

_"You called for me father?" _Kurt prompted politely. There was a very long pause.

_"You have much to explain Kurt."_ His father finally replied, his voice cold and commanding.

_"Where would you like me to start?" _Kurt sighed, shifting nervously as he wondered just how much he was going to have to say.

_"How about the point when you decided to go off on your own without any protection." _The Count growled.

_"I do that every year father and the reason is always the same." _Kurt almost whined.

_"Fine,"_ His father snarled ill-temperedly. _"Then tell me what kept you so much longer this time."_

_"I…ran into some people." _Kurt muttered evasively.

_"Who?"_ The Count demanded.

_"Some English people."_ Kurt stalled, though he knew it was hopeless. All he really wanted was some more time to come up with a good way to explain this.

_"Which English people?" _Count Wagner asked, his expression had grown dark at the mention of 'English' people.

_"Well, you really wouldn't know any of them." _Kurt mumbled. At his father's obvious exasperation he decided to add a bit more. _"Except Katharine, though you haven't seen her in a very long time."_

_"Katharine?"_ The Count murmured to himself, thrown off by this seemingly random name. _"Wait. Katharine Pryde? The girl that…"_ The man trailed off and stared at his son with disbelief.

_"The girl that you arranged for me to be married to? Yes, that girl."_ Kurt grinned mischievously.

_"You…ran into her out in the wilds?"_ His father asked, confused as to how that could be.

_"Yes. Well, I ran into one of her friends first, but then when I led that idiot back to the rest I found her there too." _Kurt explained.

_"What was she doing out there? And who are these 'friends'?"_ The Count inquired.

_"Her friends have nothing to do with her family." _Kurt hurriedly explained. _"Together, they are here to look for a stolen artifact for their benefactor."_

_"Benefactor?" _The elder Wagner prompted.

_"Lord Xavier, some rich old lord with no family who takes in who or what he sees fit, I believe."_ Kurt replied, drawing on what scraps he'd heard the others say. From his father's expression, he could tell that the Count had no knowledge of this particular English noble either. The older Wagner seemed to be considering all this new information and was in no real hurry to come to a decision on it. But when he did, Kurt could tell it was in his favor.

_"Now, tell me about this artifact that I'm sure you promised to help find…"_


	42. Shall We Dance?

**Chapter 41  
****Shall We Dance?**

Kitty sat still and obedient on a stool in her room as Jean fussed with her hair. Both wore borrowed dresses, Kitty in deep shades of blue and Jean pale mint green. Jean's hair was already fixed up and now she was returning the favor. There was a ball tonight and they had been invited at the last minute. But while the mind-witch worked, Kitty was well aware that there were other things on her mind. Kitty didn't want to pry, but her curiosity eventually got the better of her and she opened her mouth to ask.

"Is something on your mind Jean?" Kitty asked politely.

"There are a great many things on my mind." Jean replied evasively.

"Such as?" Kitty pressed.

"What Scott and Nathan are doing today, what is going on back home, do they miss us, will we ever find what we're looking for, how this party will go, worries concerning you…that sort of thing." Jean answered.

"You worry about me? Why?" Kitty asked, focusing on the one thing that she guessed Jean didn't want to discuss.

"Well, you are younger than me and you are my friend." Jean replied calmly.

"True, but why worry about me and not about Bobby or Piotr?" Kitty inquired. Jean appeared to be stuck there and didn't answer for several minutes.

"While you always displayed great strength I know that you suffered inside and refused to let us see. You appeared so open and friendly yet you were intensely secretive about many important things. Then this man that none of us know and you barely seemed to know, as he was not completely truthful with you, shows up and throws everything into chaos with his hiding in plain sight. And, despite his untruthfulness, you take him back out of loneliness and perhaps a sense that you owe him for being there and saving you from yourself." Jean sighed. "So, I worry about you."

"Yes, I did take him back out of loneliness, but he is my husband so I have no choice by the decree of Church and law." Kitty replied with a hint of sharpness to her tone.

"But you do owe him, don't you? He kept you from falling apart and slipping away when no one else would touch you." Jean reminded her.

"True, he did that for me, but he didn't do it so that I would owe him anything. He did it out of the goodness of his heart, he had no desire to see me die and leave him alone." Kitty replied sharply.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. He's already been dishonest with you concerning his true nature, what would stop him for being that way again?" Jean suggested.

"Jean, stop trying to make me doubt." Kitty growled stiffly.

"Why? I think you should doubt a little. First you were hurt, and then you were overjoyed by him. But when the blinding clouds of emotion fade away, what will you see?" Jean responded.

"Please stop talking in riddles Jean." Kitty sighed.

"Riddles? I'm not talking in riddles and you know it." Jean snorted as she finished up with Kitty's hair.

"Whatever you say." Kitty grumbled and stood up.

"Thank you for agreeing with me." Jean smiled humorlessly.

"Are you done in there yet?" Bobby asked tiredly through the door.

"Yes!" Jean called out to him.

"Finally," Bobby sighed as he opened the door. "I was waiting…forever. Very nice." Iceman smiled as he looked them over.

"Thank you ever so much for the wondrous compliment!" Jean smiled graciously and curtsied jokingly to him.

"You are very welcome my Lady." Bobby responded with equal formality and humor. Kitty snorted at the both of them.

"So are we going to the party or are we just going to stand here and chatter all night?" Kitty asked.

"Ah yes, the party, I'd nearly forgotten with such beautiful ladies standing before me." Bobby replied with an arrogant smirk.

"Enough, enough, we're both _married_ ladies so drop it." Kitty grumbled and swept past him. Jean's words had left her in a poor mood.

Kitty hurried along the dim stone hallways towards the party. She brushed past Logan, Piotr, and Remy as well, she wanted to be alone. She paused at the doorway to scan the celebrating crowd before entering. In the center of the room couples danced to the music provided by the minstrels. Around the edges others ate, drank, and chattered merrily amongst themselves. It was very much like the parties she'd experienced back in England with her family, though this one somehow seemed to be louder.

Before the others caught up with her, she slipped carefully into the crowd of strange people. She strained her ears and mind to try and decipher the scraps of conversation that reached her ears. Most of it was meaningless gossip and the rest was drunken ramblings. Kitty found an open corner along the wall and rested there to listen and wait. For once she felt no desire to dance even though the music was excellent and she could probably convince any man here to take her to the floor. She blamed it on Jean and her ruined mood.

"What's this? Do my eyes deceive me? Kätzchen, are you sulking in this corner and not wanting to dance?" Kurt asked, somehow magically appearing at her side.

"What if I am? How is that so strange?" Kitty challenged, refusing to look at him.

"But…but that's what I do! I'm the one that hides in the corner and needs to be dragged away to dance!" He protested. Kitty decided not to reply to that. "Well then…I suppose that the roles have reversed themselves tonight." He mused and began dragging her to the center of the room.

"What are you doing?" Kitty squeaked, startled by his actions.

"Since you seem to be pretending to be me, I'm pretending to be you! Besides, I owe you a bunch of birthday dances." Kurt grinned.

Kitty blinked and found herself swept into a dance before she could come up with some sort of escape. Kurt looked quite pleased with himself as he kept her trapped right where she was. The beat of the music drove the speed of their steps and left little time for Kitty to gather her wits. In the end she just abandoned all her attempts to escape and went along with what Kurt wanted.

Dance after dance flew by as night came and the party went up and down. Kitty found herself relaxing and even enjoying the evening that had started out so sour. Kurt seemed very happy, which she found odd. Normally when they danced he had a scowl fixed on his face. But she guessed things had changed and perhaps he was more mature now.

Before she knew it, the musicians packed up their instruments and headed off for sleep. Most people were either unconscious from too much drink and revelry or off in their beds. The small groups that remained chattered amongst themselves quietly. With no more music, there was no more dancing, and Kitty found herself being led away towards the balcony and the open night air.

"So did you have fun?" Kurt asked curiously.

"Yes," she admitted. "I missed dancing. And dancing with you." To her surprise, Kurt blushed.

"You missed dancing with me?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Of course I did, you were always one of the best dancers." She smiled.

"Really? And here I thought that I was terrible at it." He replied softly, turning his eyes to the bright stars to try and hide his darkening blush.

"You're terrible at starting to dance. Once you begin moving to the music you're much better." Kitty laughed and hugged his arm.

"What, I'm not perfect?" Kurt asked teasingly.

Kitty just giggled at him. The stars shone coolly in the inky sky and it was fascinating to gaze at them. So what if she'd done this for months while she traveled out in the wilder lands? It never lost its beauty to her eyes. Kurt seemed to share her opinion as he stood with her. But without the music to keep them moving and with the stillness of the stars, fatigue crept in on them. Kitty found herself swaying and yawning as her mind grew fuzzy with weariness. Kurt wasn't as tired as she was, but not by much.

With a final yawn, he took her by the shoulders and gently led her back inside. The great room was now completely deserted and their footsteps echoed eerily as they stumbled along. The halls were almost black as most of the servants had gone to bed and left the torches to burn out. Kitty had no idea if they were walking the right way, she was having enough trouble keeping her eyes open. When she came to a bed, she simply collapsed onto it. In seconds she was asleep.


End file.
